Taking Chances
by Butterfly Betty
Summary: Singe mom, Bella, and single dad, Edward, meet as their boys start school. Their boys become fast friends but will Edward and Bella? Or will they become more than friends? AH&MA for language
1. Chapter 1

"Alexander Brody, get your booty down here right now," I yelled, standing at the base of the stairs. "You are going to be late."

"I'm coming," he grumbled, stomping down the stairs. "I don't see why I have to go to school at all, Mom."

"It's the law and Grandpa would come all the way from Forks to arrest me if I don't make you go. Sorry, little man," I smiled, kneeling down and tying the shoe of my five year old son.

"Whatever," he pouted.

"Ok, Mr. Grumpy pants," I smiled, folding down the collar of his shirt. "What do you want for breakfast? Pancakes or waffles?"

"Um," he said, biting his bottom lip. "Pancakes!"

"Pancakes, it is," I laughed.

Alex and I headed into the kitchen. He sat down at the table and immediately pulled his coloring book and crayons to him. We had gotten into the habit of leaving them on the table so he would always have them while I cooked, since he liked to be in the kitchen with me.

"You want blueberries or chocolate chips?" I asked, pulling out my mixing bowl.

"Blueberries," he muttered.

I chuckled and pulled the blueberries out of the fridge. Once he got to coloring, it was hard to avert his attention. It didn't take me too long to make him a couple of small pancakes. I set them in front of him and helped him pour on the syrup. He continued to color in his Spiderman coloring book while he ate. I had just finished cleaning my skillet when the phone rang. Laying the pan on the counter, I went over and picked up the phone and smiled when I looked at the caller ID.

"It's for you, Alex," I smiled, holding the phone out to him. He grabbed the phone and clicked the green talk button.

"Hello," he said. Immediately, his face exploded into a huge smile. "Grandpa!…Nothing, I'm coloring….uh huh, Spiderman….I guess. Mom said you would arrest her if I didn't go…No, but I didn't tell her that I didn't believer her…you know how she is," laughed Alex. I rolled my eyes as I pulled out his lunch box and packed his sandwich, an apple, juice box, and two cookies. "I will…I promise….Ok, hold on. Mom, Grandpa wants to talk to you."

"Ok, put your lunch box in your backpack," I said, trading him the Spiderman lunch box for the phone.

"Fine," he sighed. I shook my head and pulled the phone up to my ear. I could hear my father, Charlie, laughing.

"Yeah, it's not funny, Dad," I muttered.

"Oh, sure it is, Bells," laughed Charlie. "He's going to be ok."

"I know," I whispered. "I think he's just nervous."

"Of course he is," said Charlie. "I told him I would call him after school and see how his first day goes, so send me a text or email when you get home, ok?"

"Ok," I snorted. "You know, it's weird that you say things like text and email."

"Yeah, yeah, excuse me for living in the now and not the then," scoffed Charlie.

"Wow, I'm hanging up now," I laughed. "I'll text you later, Dad."

"Ok, love you, honey. Don't cry," he laughed.

"Yeah, love you, too, Dad," I snorted, shaking my head.

I hung up and set the phone down on the counter. I made my way out to the living room where I found Alex, trying to shove his lunch box into his backpack. Smiling, I went over and squatted down next to him.

"Need some help?" I asked.

"I got it," he muttered, shoving really hard. I sat there for another minute or so while he continued to push until finally, the lunch box was inside his backpack. "Got it."

"Good job," I smiled, zipping it up as much as we could. His backpack was full of his school supplies. "Are you ready to go?"

"I guess," he whispered, looking up at me with wide scared blue eyes. "You promise it's going to be ok?"

"I promise," I smiled, stroking his cheek.

"Ok," he whispered.

Alex and I headed outside to my car, an Audi SUV. I got him settled in his booster seat, making sure his seatbelt was on properly. He pulled his coloring book and crayons out of the back pocket on the back of the passenger seat and began to color while I ran around to the driver's seat. Looking back at him again, I started the car and buckled my own seatbelt. I turned back around and backed my car out of the driveway and headed to his new school.

Twenty minutes later, I pulled my car into the parking lot of Clover Elementary School. I climbed out and helped Alex out of his booster seat and out of the car. He held onto my hand as we crossed the street and headed into the school. With each step, he moved closer and closer to me until he was practically glued to my leg. We walked into the main office where a woman with reddish/orange hair was sitting behind a large desk. The woman looked up and smiled as the door shut behind us.

"Hello," cheered the woman, smiling at me and Alex. "How may I help you today?"

"My son is a new student," I explained. "I registered him last week for kindergarten."

"Of course," smiled the woman, looking at Alex. "You must be Alexander Swan."

"Oh, he prefers Alex," I said, as he clung onto my leg, tightly.

"Ok, Alex," said the woman. "My name is Mrs. Cope."

"Hi," whispered Alex.

"He's a little shy," I explained. "I'm Bella Swan."

"It's nice to meet you, Bella," smiled Mrs. Cope. She dug through some of her papers before she pulled out a long list and read through it. She smiled again and looked up at us. "Well, it looks like Alex is in Mrs. Whitlock's class. Her classroom can be found down in D-Wing."

Mrs. Cope quickly explained how to find D-wing and Alex's classroom. I thanked her and, somehow, managed to pry my son off my leg. Alex stayed very close to me as we made our way down the hallway and outside to the back of the school. In between the main school, where I was told grades two through five are, was a large playground with several jungle gyms, slides, swings. I smiled at my son as we walked past them and headed down to the small buildings that lined the back edge of the playground.

We walked up to Alex's classroom and stood behind a tall, thin dark haired woman who was consoling her daughter, who was sobbing uncontrollably against her mother's leg. My heart broke a little bit as she begged her mommy not to leave her.

"Annabeth, you know Mrs. Whitlock isn't going to let anything happen to you," soothed the woman. Mrs. Whitlock, a short pixie like woman with long black hair that had been pulled up into a ponytail, knelt down next to Annabeth and her mother.

"Sweetie, we are going to have so much fun today," smiled Mrs. Whitlock. "Don't you want to have fun with us?"

"Yes," sniffed Annabeth. She pulled back from her mother and wiped her nose on her hand. "I'll be ok now, Mommy."

"I'll pick you up right here after school, I promise," said her mother, kissing her wet cheek. Annabeth nodded and carried her backpack into the classroom. Mrs. Whitlock and the girl's mother stood up and hugged each other. "If she starts crying again, text me."

"She'll be fine, Angela," laughed Mrs. Whitlock. "I promise."

"I know," sighed Angela. She turned and smiled at me and Alex before she made her way through the back gate to the parking lot that sat behind the school.

"Well, who do we have here?" asked Mrs. Whitlock. Alex was clamped into my leg as his teacher knelt down in front of us and stuck out her hand. "I don't believe we've met yet. I'm Mrs. Whitlock."

"I'm Alex," he whispered, looking up at me. I smiled and nodded my head. He let go of my leg and placed his hand in hers.

"Of course," smiled Mrs. Whitlock. "I was so excited to hear that you would be in my class, Alex. Why don't you go in and find you desk while I talk to your mommy for a minute."

"Ok," whispered Alex. I knelt down next to him and hugged him. "I'll see you later, Mom."

"Ok, be good today," I smiled. Alex just nodded his head and headed into the classroom. I stood up and blinked back the tears I could already feel building in my eyes.

"I'm Alice Whitlock," smiled Alex's teacher, holding her hand out to me.

"Bella Swan," I said, shaking her hand.

"It's nice to officially meet you, Bella," said Alice.

"AUNT ALI!" bellowed a little auburn haired boy as he came running around the corner.

"Anthony," cheered Alice, hugging him as he launched himself into her arms. "I knew you would be late."

"We are not late," said a voice behind me.

I looked back and saw an incredibly gorgeous man standing there. He had the same auburn hair as Anthony. His eyes were bright green and sparkling. His jaw was strong and his skin was pale and completely flawless. He smiled as he looked from me to Alice and Anthony.

"We were almost late, but see, we got here on time," he said. I took a deep breath as I turned away from him.

"Whatever, Edward," snorted Alice. "Anthony, go find your seat."

"Ok, Mrs. Whitlock," snickered Anthony. He turned back to Edward and raised his fist. "Later, Dad."

"Later," said Edward, bumping his fist with his sons. "Be good or no going to Nana and Papa's."

"Oh, man," whined Anthony, walking into the classroom. I couldn't stop from laughing with Edward and Alice.

"Alice, if he acts up, call me, k?" asked Edward, taking a few steps backwards.

"K," smiled Alice. Edward looked over at me before he turned around and ran around the corner. "Well, Bella, I guess I had better get in there before they start painting the walls or something."

"Oh, I need to tell you that Alex is allergic to nuts, like deathly allergic," I said, quickly as I pulled out the small slip of paper from my back pocket. "Here's my number, in case…"

"On it," smiled Alice. "Don't worry, Bella. He's going to be just fine."

"I hope so," I murmured.

I turned and headed back up to the main part of the school as Alice closed her classroom door. Making my way past the office, I headed back over to my car and climbed in. I headed straight back to the house and straight to my office. I powered up my laptop before I went down into the kitchen and poured myself some coffee. I headed back up to my office and settled behind my desk and started proof reading my new book for the umpteenth time.

The house was eerily quiet without Alex here with me. I was used to hearing him play in his room or watching TV behind me while I wrote or, hell, sometimes he would pull a chair up to my desk and color while I worked. I wasn't sure I liked the quiet. In fact, after a couple hours of it, I turned on my iPod just to have some noise on. I somehow managed to get through the day and finally it was time for me to leave to go pick Alex up.

I practically ran down the stairs and jumped into my car. Throwing my seatbelt on, I pulled out of the drive way and made the twenty minute drive to the school. I took a chance and parked in the back parking lot this time. I climbed out of my car and made my way to the gate were three other women were waiting, including Annabeth's mother, Angela.

"Hi," she said, smiling at me. "I didn't get a chance to introduce myself this morning with all the craziness of the first day of school. I'm Angela Cheney."

"Bella Swan," I said softly.

"It's nice to meet you, Bella," said Angela. She turned to the other two women. "This is Rose Cullen and Kate Mitchell. They both have kids in first grade, which is just down D-wing from ours. Ladies, this is Bella. Her son…" She trailed off, looking at me as she realized she didn't know my son's name.

"Alex," I said.

"Her son, Alex, is in Anna's class," explained Angela.

"It's nice to meet you, Bella," smiled Kate. She was a beautiful blond with shoulder length hair and grayish eyes.

"Are you new to Seattle?" asked Rose, a gorgeous honey blond with long legs, silky hair, and crystal blue eyes.

"Um, no," I said, shaking my head. "I've lived here for about seven years."

"Oh," muttered Rose.

We fell into an awkward silence. It seemed like none of us knew what to say to each other. I leaned against the wall behind me as they started talking amongst themselves. They had obviously known each other for awhile now and I felt so out of place.

"Rose, is Emmett working this weekend?" asked Edward, coming up behind her, twirling his keys around his finger. He looked over at me and smiled before he looked back at Rose.

"No, he's taking Elliott down for soccer sign ups," explained Rose. "Why?"

"I was hoping he'd be willing to help me and Jas coach," said Edward. "They are having a coaches meeting after evaluations."

"Ok, I'm sure he would," smiled Rose. She looked over at me. "Are you going to sign Alex up, Bella?"

"I don't know," I muttered, biting my lip.

"Hi, I'm Edward Cullen," said Edward, sticking his hand out to me. I blushed slightly as I placed my hand in his. As soon as our hands touched, I felt a shock shoot through me. I quickly pulled my hand back.

"Bella Swan," I mumbled.

"You should sign you son up," smiled Edward. "It would a great way for him to get to know some of the other kids."

"Um, I'll talk to him about it," I said. "He's not used to being around kids so…"

"Hey, no pressure or anything," laughed Edward as they unlocked the back gates. Angela, Rose, and Kate headed straight in. "After you."

I'm pretty sure my face was the color of red tomatoes as I stumbled my way through the gate with Edward following me. We stopped outside of our children's classrooms with Angela and a handful of other parents who were waiting for their kids to come out. I leaned back against the wall and looked down at my feet as the final bell rang. A moment later, Alice opened her classroom door.

"Bus kids line up on the sidewalk. If your parents are not here yet and you are not riding the bus, stay against the wall please," instructed Alice. I looked over as Alex came bouncing out of the classroom with his backpack on one shoulder.

"Mom, I had the best day." He was practically yelling. I laughed as I knelt down in front of him.

"You did?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah," he laughed. "I sit next to Anthony, who is like so funny, Mom."

"Well, that's great, Alex," I smiled. "Are you ready to go home? Grandpa was going to call, remember?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," said Alex. He turned to Anthony, who was talking to Edward. "See you tomorrow, Anthony."

"Sure thing, Alex," smiled Anthony, nodding at Alex.

I noticed Edward looked a little shocked or surprised at the friendship between our two boys, or maybe I was imagining it. Alex and I headed back out to our car. Once we were both buckled in, I drove us home while listening to Alex rave about Anthony. I was starting to think Anthony was like a super hero with the way Alex kept going on and on about him. After we got home, I sent Charlie a text letting him know it was safe to call, which he did less than a minute later.

I fixed Alex a snack while he filled Charlie in on just how cool Anthony really was. Once he had relived every moment of his day for my father, he took his bowl of grapes and went to watch TV for awhile. I laughed as I sat down at the table.

"Well, it sounds like his day went pretty good," snorted Charlie.

"No kidding," I laughed.

"How'd yours go?" asked Charlie. I could almost see the smirk on his face.

"Oh my god, Dad, it was horrible," I whined. "I came straight home and tried to work but it was too freaking quiet. Eventually, I had to turn on some music just so I had some noise going. I swear, I almost turned on the Disney Channel."

"Wow," snorted Charlie as he laughed. "Sounds like you had a worse day than he did."

"I know," I muttered. "It's pathetic, isn't it?"

"A little," chuckled Charlie. "But it's good for you."

"I know," I sighed, shaking my head. "I had better get going. I still have three more chapters to edit before I make dinner."

"Ok, Honey, love you," said Charlie. "Tell Alex that I'll see him in a couple weeks, ok?"

"Ok, Dad, love you, too."

I sighed as I hung up the phone. Grabbing my own bowl of grapes, I headed up to my office. Alex was laying on the couch, watching Phineas and Ferb and eating his snack. I smiled inwardly as I sat down at my desk and finished editing my final three chapters. It was silly that having him in the same room, with the TV on, was comforting to me but it was.

After I finished my work, I headed back down to the kitchen and made us some spaghetti for dinner. Alex started yawning about halfway through dinner. Once he was done, I got him into the bath and ready for bed. I sat down on the edge of his bed and brushed his blond hair out of his face as he yawned again.

"You tired, bud?" I asked.

"A little," he mumbled.

"Me too," I smiled. "Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to sign up for soccer? I heard a couple of the other parents talking about it."

"Yeah, Anthony was talking about it," smiled Alex. "Can I play?"

"If you want to," I said.

"I do," said Alex, yawning again.

"Ok, sleepy head," I laughed. I leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Ok," mumbled Alex, already half asleep.

I climbed off his bed and turned on his nightlight before I shut his bedroom door. I headed down the hallway to my room and laid down on the bed. I read for awhile before I changed into my pajamas and fell asleep. Sometime in the early morning, I felt Alex slip into my bed with me. I smiled as he curled up next to me and went back to sleep.

**Here's something new and different than what I have ever written so be patient with me. Big shout out to GAjujubee for being my sounding board.**


	2. Chapter 2

EPOV

"Anthony, move your butt," I bellowed, walking out of my bedroom.

"I'm hurrying," he grumbled.

"Hurry faster or I'm calling Aunt Ali and having her bring you a tofu dog for lunch," I laughed.

"No, Dad," whined Anthony, stumbling out of his room. "Please don't."

"Then I suggest you hurry or we are going to be almost late again," I smirked.

I headed downstairs, leaving him mumbling under his breath. He came running in a few minutes later, pulling on his Spiderman t-shirt, that he hadn't worn in at least two months, and trying to flatten his hair. I felt for the boy, but his hair was never going stay down. It was a curse that I knew way too much about. I blamed my father, even though he didn't have this problem.

"I'm starving," whined Anthony, plopping down at the table. I rolled my eyes and grabbed a bowl, the box of cereal he had picked out at the store two days ago, a spoon, and the milk and placed it in front of him.

"Enjoy," I smiled.

"Alex told me his mom made him pancakes," mumbled Anthony. "Why don't you ever make me pancakes?"

"Because I don't want to burn our house down," I explained, looking over my shoulder at him as I got his lunch ready. "And since when do you like pancakes, anyway?"

"Since now," said Anthony, pouring the milk over his cereal.

I chuckled inwardly as I grabbed the milk and put it back into the fridge. Anthony had been going on and on about Alex ever since he got home from school yesterday. To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. Anthony had never been one to rave about anyone or anything. He was friendly and outgoing but he was not normally one to be so gung-ho about one kid like this. It was nice to see him opening up more.

"So are you excited about soccer?" I asked, sitting across from him.

"Yeah," smiled Anthony. "I hope Alex plays. He was going to ask him mom if he could. He's never played before. Can you believe that?"

"No, I can't," I laughed, shaking my head. "Finish up and go brush your teeth."

"Ok," whined Anthony.

He quickly finished his cereal and ran from the table. I rinsed out his bowl and met him next to the front door. After making sure he really did brush his teeth, we headed out to my car, a silver Volvo. Once he was buckled into his booster seat, I headed around to the driver's seat and climbed in. I started the car and headed down to his school.

I parked my car next to a black Audi SUV and got Anthony out of his seat. Anthony grabbed his backpack and took off toward his classroom. I hurried after him and found him standing in front of Bella and Alex. He and Alex were already talking animatedly about soccer.

Bella looked up and smiled before she turned back to the boys. She was incredibly beautiful. She had long, dark brown hair with just the slightest red highlights wove through it. Her ivory skin was flawless and smooth but what really drew me in were her amazing eyes. They were the darkest brown, almost like melted milk chocolate. I took a deep breath as I went and stood behind my son.

"Oh my, Edward, you are actually on time," laughed Alice, opening her door. I rolled my eyes at my little sister. "I think this is a miracle."

"Funny, Alice, so funny," I muttered.

"I thought so," she laughed again. She looked around at all the kids were pooling outside her door. "Well, are you all coming in? We are going to have a lot of fun today!"

I shook my head as all the kids started filing into the classroom. Alice was always so freaking perky. From the corner of my eye, I noticed that Bella sighed as she watched Alex head into the classroom. She turned and headed back out to the parking lot. I cleared my throat and turned to follow her.

"Bye, Edward," sang Alice.

I waved her off, knowing that she was laughing at me. Bella headed over to the SUV that was parked next to my car and climbed in. I waved at her as I climbed into my car. I swear I saw her blush as she threw her hand up and waved back. She pulled her car out of the parking space and headed away from the school. Shaking my head to pull myself away from thoughts of her, I shifted my car into reverse and headed back home.

I parked my car in the driveway and headed inside. I headed into the kitchen and poured myself a cup of coffee before I headed into my darkroom. I spent most of the morning developing the three rolls of pictures I had taken last week for a family taking pictures of their new baby. It took forever to get their three year old daughter to smile so we could get the pictures.

I made myself a sandwich for lunch and ate while I ran through my emails. It was sad and pathetic but I was bored stiff. One of the perks of working from home was that I always had Anthony here with me. Now I was alone, left to entertain myself. I spent the afternoon piddling around the house, flipping through the channels on the TV, and watching the clock tick down slowly.

Finally, it was time for me to leave to go pick up Anthony. I felt like an idiot as I ran out of the house and jumped into my car. I drove as quickly as I could down to the school and parked next to Bella again. She climbed out of her car at the same time I did.

"How'd Alex like his first day?" I asked.

"He seemed to love it," smiled Bella, shaking her head. "He was up before I was this morning, begging me to get my butt moving."

"I wish Anthony was like that," I snorted. "I think I spend more time yelling at him to get moving than I do anything else."

"I'm sure that's difficult," murmured Bella as stopped outside the gates. Rose, Angela and Kate were talking. Rose laughed as she looked over at me.

"Oh, Edward, there you are," she smiled. "Esme wanted me to ask if you would grab some ice on your way to the house tonight."

"Sure, no problem," I said, nodding my head. "Is Emmett going to make it?"

"I hope so," she sighed. "He's supposed to be off at five but you know how it is."

"I do," I snorted, shaking my head.

As Christina, the custodian for D-wing opened the gate, I noticed that Bella was staring at the ground. She looked up as the gate got pushed open. I motioned for her to go first, causing her blush, a beautiful blush, as she rushed inside. Shaking my head a little, I followed her in. Rose and Kate had made their way down the sidewalk to where Elliott and Mattie's classroom was.

"Angela, how's Ben?" I asked. "I haven't seen him in a while."

"He's good. He's been working a lot of overtime lately because they have a huge trial coming up but he should be at evaluations this weekend," smiled Angela. "He can't wait to see Anna out there."

"I can't either," I laughed. "She's quite the little player."

"Ok, kids, I'll see you tomorrow," said Alice, opening her classroom.

"Dad, can I go play?" begged Anthony, dropping his backpack at my feet.

"For a few minutes and then we have to leave," I said, firmly.

"Ok, Dad," laughed Anthony. He turned and ran over to one of the jungle gyms.

"Mom, can I go play?" asked Alex, looking up at Bella. She bit her lips as she thought about it. "Please, Mom, please, please, please, please?"

"Ok, for a few minutes but no more whining," she said, smiling at him.

"I promise," he yelled, running after Anthony.

Alex and Anthony climbed up onto the jungle gym and started playing. I had never seen Anthony like that before. Shaking my head, I looked over at Bella. She was watching Alex with a soft smile on her face.

"Edward, are you and Anthony coming to Mom and Dad's?" asked Alice, causing Bella to look over at us. I quickly looked away but I'm pretty sure she caught me staring.

"Yeah," I said, looking over at Alice. She was smirking as she leaned against the door to her classroom. "I'm bringing ice."

"Yeah, Mom asked me to bring some strawberries," laughed Alice, pushing off her classroom door. "Which means I had better get a move on if I am going to get to the store first."

"Ok, I'll see you there," I murmured. Alice laughed as she shut the door. I rolled my eyes as I picked up Anthony's backpack and let out a loud whistle. "Anthony, let's go."

"Dad, can Alex come over?" asked Anthony.

"Not today, we are going to Nana and Papa's for dinner," I explained.

"Man," whined Anthony, looking rather disappointed.

"Maybe another day, ok?" I suggested.

"Tomorrow?" asked Anthony, looking up at me and smiling. "Please?"

"Um," I muttered, looking up at Bella, who was kneeling down in front of Alex, whispering back and forth with her.

"I don't know, Alex," she whispered.

"Why not?" whispered Alex, whining louder than he thought he was.

"Because I don't know his father," muttered Bella, looking up at me. She blushed and cleared her throat as she stood up. "Let's go, Alex."

"But Mom," whined Alex, stomping his foot.

"Alexander Brody, do not push me," she said, firmly without raising her voice. Inwardly I winced. She pulled out the middle name. Never a good sign.

"Yes, ma'am," he whispered. He looked back at Anthony, who looked really upset as well. "See ya."

"Yeah, see ya," muttered my son.

I shared a small smile with Bella as we herded our boys out to the parking lot. Anthony was pouting and ignoring me as I buckled him into his booster seat. I rolled my eyes at him and climbed into the driver's seat. I started my car and looked back, noticing that Bella seemed to be having a pretty animated conversation with her son.

I pulled my car out and headed back home. Anthony stormed into the house, throwing his backpack on the floor. I whistled at him, causing him to look back at me. I merely looked at his backpack and he came over and grabbed before stomping up the stairs to his room. Sighing, I fell onto the couch. I hated when he got grumpy like this.

Just before six, I dragged myself off the couch and went over to the base of the stairs.

"Anthony, let's go," I yelled.

"Don't want to," he yelled back.

"I wasn't asking," I replied. "Let's go."

Anthony came storming down the stairs, muttering under his breath about how unfair life was and how I didn't understand him at all. Christ, he could be so dramatic sometimes. He grudgingly followed me out to the car and climbed into his booster seat without another word to me. As soon as I had him buckled in, I climbed into my seat, buckled my own seatbelt, and pulled out of the driveway.

We stopped by the gas station and grabbed a couple bags of ice before heading over to my parents' house. I parked my car behind Alice and Jasper's minivan, laughing inwardly at the fact that she gave up her Porsche for that thing, and climbed out. As soon as Anthony was free of his seatbelt, he was out of the car and running into the house without as much as a look back at me. Yep, going to be a long night.

"Um, what the heck is wrong with your son?" asked my mother, Esme, as I came into the house. I snorted and looked over at her.

"I'm mean," I explained.

"Oh, I see," she said, like that explained everything. "Eh, he'll get over it."

I chuckled as I followed her into the kitchen where my father was standing at the counter, chopping onions and sniffing. I tossed the bags of ice into the deep freeze and kissed my mother's cheek. She giggled and patted my face with her tiny hand. Her green eyes sparkled with joy. She loved having everyone here.

"You look great, Mom," I smiled.

"Oh, please," she snorted, shaking her head. "I look like shit but that's ok because I found this new recipe for chicken that I think you will love."

"Um, Mom, I don't cook," I reminded her.

"Well, you need to learn," she said.

"Esme, leave the boy alone," sniffed my father, Carlisle. "Damn onions."

"Sure, blame it on the onions, Dad," I laughed, heading into the living room.

"It is the onions," he yelled after me.

"Dad, crying again?" asked Alice, from her seat in the middle of the sofa next to Jasper.

"Yep," I said, sitting down. "He's blaming the onions."

"Figures," snorted Alice, laying her head on Jasper's shoulder. She was cradling a sleeping six month old girl, Ivy, in her arms.

"When do I get to hold my niece?" I asked.

"Come and get her," chuckled Alice. I stood up and gently lifted the sleeping baby into my arms.

"God, I miss when Anthony was little like this and he didn't talk back all the time," I sighed, sitting back down.

"Oh, he's not so bad," scoffed Alice. "He's been a joy in my class so far. In fact, he and Alex have really hit if off."

"Who's Alex?" asked Esme as she and Carlisle came into the living room.

"Anthony's new friend from school," I said, laying Ivy back in Alice's arms. "That's why he's mad at me. I wouldn't let Alex come over after school."

"Oh," sighed Esme.

"Yeah, Alex's mom, Bella, is really nice, isn't she, Edward?" smirked Alice. I rolled my eyes as I headed out of the living.

"I guess," I sighed.

I headed down to the kids' playroom and checked on my son. He was sitting in the corner with a bucket of Lego's, building what looked like a plane. I went over and sat on the floor next to him. For a couple of minutes, neither of us said anything. It wasn't like us to fight like this. Anthony and I always got along.

"You ever going to talk to me again?" I asked.

"Guess so," muttered Anthony, looking up at me. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," I smiled, bringing him to my chest. "I'll talk to Alex's mom and see if he can't come over sometime but you have to understand that you can't always get what you want."

"I know, Dad," sighed Anthony, turning his attention back to his Lego's. "Alex said he gets to play soccer. I hope he's on our team."

"Me too," I said, smiling.

I sat there for another couple of minutes before I headed back out to the living room. Emmett and Rosalie were sitting on the couches with Alice and Jasper. Carlisle and Esme were hugging Elliott, who looked like he was about to die from embarrassment. They finally let him go. He sped off to the playroom and I heard Anthony start laughing.

"Sup, bro," said Emmett, coming over and slapping me on the back. "I hear the boy is mad at you."

"I'm mean," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Yeah, me too," chuckled Emmett. "Eh, he'll get over it. So Rosie was saying something about coaching soccer?"

"Yeah, Edward and I are coaching Anthony's team together," said Jasper, looking back at us from his position on the couch. "We were hoping you would help."

"No problem," said Emmett, shrugging his shoulders. "As long as I'm off."

"Cool, man, thanks," I smiled.

"Ok, everyone, let's eat," yelled Esme.

Anthony and Elliott came running in from the playroom. I picked him up so he could wash his hands. We settled around the large table and fixed our plates. Anthony was eyeing his chicken like he wasn't sure what it was. I laughed silently as I cut it up for him. He speared a piece on his fork and slowly brought it to his mouth as everyone watched him.

"This is good," announced Anthony.

"I'm so glad you like it, sweet boy," smiled Esme. "I'm going to teach your dad how to make it."

"Nana, Dad would burn it," smirked Anthony.

"I would not," I scoffed. Anthony looked over at me, cocking his eyebrow. "Ok, maybe I would."

"I bet Alex's mom could make this, though," said Anthony.

"Why do you think that?" asked Carlisle.

"She makes him pancakes and waffles for breakfast," explained Anthony. "Like real ones, not the frozen ones Dad gets from the store. He told me that she cooks all the time for him."

"Oh, I see," smiled Carlisle, eyeing me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "How's school going, boys?"

While Elliott and Anthony filled everyone in on their first two days of school, I saw Alice watching me. I rolled my eyes and focused on the food on my plate. My little sister could be such a pain in the ass sometimes. Once everyone was done, Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and I started in on the dishes.

"So, Edward," said Emmett, rinsing off a plate and handing it to me. "There's this woman-"

"No," I said, interrupting him.

"Ed-"

"No, Emmett," I said again, placing the plate into the dishwasher. "I'm not interested in whatever woman you think I should go out with."

"She wouldn't want you to be alone," whispered Emmett. I tossed the towel I was holding onto the counter and headed out of the kitchen. "Edward, wait."

"Anthony, let's go," I yelled, standing by the front door.

"What's going on?" asked Esme, standing up from her position on the couch. Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle came out of the kitchen.

"Edward, man, just listen-"

"No, Emmett," I snapped. "You don't tell me what she would have wanted. Anthony, now."

"I'm just worried about you," muttered Emmett as Esme, Rose, Alice, Carlisle, and Jasper looked back and forth between us.

"Don't be," I said, harshly. Anthony came running out of the playroom, pulling on his shoes. "Tell everyone goodnight, Bud."

I stood next to the door while Anthony made his rounds and hugged everyone. Esme came over and hugged but didn't say anything other than goodnight and to be careful on the drive home. I got Anthony loaded up into the backseat of my car and headed back to the house. By the time I pulled my car up into the garage, he was conked out in the backseat.

I lifted him out, careful not to wake him up, and carried him into the house. I changed him out of his school clothes and into his pajamas. I tucked him into bed and kissed his forehead before I headed out of his room, turning on his nightlight before I shut his bedroom door. I walked straight down to my room and changed into my own pajamas.

I had just climbed into bed when my cell phone alerted me to a new text message. I picked it up and checked the message.

**E-Sorry. I'm a huge ass.-Em**

Shaking my head at the understatement of the year, I sent him a message back.

**Em-Don't worry about it. I'll ttyl.-E**

Tossing my cell phone back onto the table, I clicked off my lamp. As I have every night since Sarah passed away, I cried myself to sleep.

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews! I am stunned by the response the first chapter got! Please keep the reviews coming. I am going to try to update this one at least once a week, more if I feel inspired.**


	3. Chapter 3

BPOV

I woke up the morning and stumbled down the hall to Alex's room, stubbing my toe on the door frame. Pushing the door open, I expected to see him sound asleep in his bed but he wasn't. Biting my lip, I headed downstairs. I found Alex sitting in the living room, coloring on his Spiderman coloring book and watching cartoons.

Sighing, I went over and sat down on the couch behind him. He had barely spoken more than a handful of words to me last night. I knew he didn't understand why I couldn't just let him go to a complete stranger's house but I didn't know Edward well enough to let Alex go with him. Alex was all I had, other than my father.

"Hey, you're up early," I said, running my fingers through his hair.

"Yeah," he said, not looking back at me.

"What sounds good for breakfast?" I asked. "You can have anything you want."

"Um," said Alex, thinking about it. He looked over his shoulder at me. "Muffins?"

"Muffins it is," I smiled. "Raisin Bran muffins ok?"

"Those are my favorite," he laughed.

"Mine too," I chuckled, kissing the top of his head. "Go get dressed while I get them in the oven, ok?"

"Ok," he sighed, standing up. I started packing up his crayons while he headed over to the stairs. "Mom?"

"What, Sweetie?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Do you think maybe Anthony could come here after school?" asked Alex.

"I'll think about it, ok?" I sighed. "I have to talk to his mom or dad first."

"He doesn't have a mom," said Alex, heading up the stairs. "It's just him and his dad."

I sat there for a minute completely stunned. Edward was a single parent, too? Was that why Alex and Anthony had formed such a close friendship so quickly? I pushed those thoughts out of my head as I headed into the kitchen and pulled the bowl of muffin batter out of the fridge. I quickly got a handful of muffins put in the oven and fixed Alex's lunch.

I ran upstairs and quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Alex came in a few minutes later and started coloring. I pulled the muffins out of the oven and placed them on a plate. I put them in the middle of the table and poured him a glass of milk and myself a cup of coffee. He grabbed a muffin and started eating it.

"You shouldn't drink coffee," said Alex, looking up at me. "Grandpa said so."

"He did, huh?" I asked, helping myself to a muffin. "Grandpa's old and doesn't know what he is talking about."

"Uh huh," said Alex, rolling his eyes at me. "He said that coffee gives people bad breath and makes your teeth brown."

"Are my teeth brown?" I asked, flashing my teeth at him.

"No," laughed Alex.

"Does my breath stink?" I asked, breathing on him.

"Ew, Mom," laughed Alex, falling back in his seat. "No, but that's gross. I'm telling Grandpa on you."

"I'm not scared of him," I scoffed.

"Then why do I have to do to school?" asked Alex, eyeing me closely.

"Oh, cause I don't want to go to jail," I smiled. "I'm too pretty for jail."

"Whatever, Mom," laughed Alex.

"Ok, Little Man, go brush your teeth so I can take you to school," I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Fine," muttered Alex, drinking the last of his milk.

I laughed to myself as I grabbed the left over muffins and placed them in a plastic bag. I rinsed out his glass and headed out to the living room. Alex was waiting for me with his backpack on. We made our way out to my car and climbed in. Alex sang along with the radio as we drove down to the school. I watched him in the rear view mirror. His messy blond hair flying from side to side as he shook his head. He needed a haircut but he hated to get them and I wasn't in the mood to fight with him about it.

I parked my car next to Edward's Volvo and got Alex out. He took off running around the corner. When I caught up to him, he and Anthony were talking about Lego's. Edward looked tired. His auburn hair was even messier than normal and he had bag under his eyes.

"Edward, Ben was wondering if you guys need help coaching," said Angela, coming up behind us. Annabeth went over and stood next to the boys.

"Hey, Anna," smiled Alex.

"Hey, Alex," whispered Annabeth.

"Um, sure, if he has time. Em going to help when he is off duty but we can always use an extra set of hands," said Edward, looking over at her.

"Good morning, kids," sang Alice, opening her classroom door. "Who's ready for some fun?"

"Aunt Ali, are you always so excited?" asked Anthony. I chuckled softly as I looked down.

"Yes, Anthony, I am," laughed Alice. "You should try it."

"Nah, I'm good," said Anthony. "Come on, Alex."

"Ok, bye Mom," laughed Alex, following Anthony into the classroom.

"Bye," I called after him but he was already inside.

"Edward, you ok?" asked Alice.

"Fine," muttered Edward. "If he acts up, call me."

"I will," sighed Alice.

Edward nodded his head before he turned and headed away from the classroom. I smiled at Alice as I followed him. He headed over to his car. I'm not even sure what possessed me to do it but I found myself reaching out and grabbing is shoulder.

"Edward," I said, quickly. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at me. I let go of his arm and shifted from one foot to the other. "I, um, wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday after school."

"Hey, don't worry about it," smiled Edward, turning around and facing me. "Kids will be kids."

"Yeah, I guess," I muttered. "Um, it's…I didn't mean to make it seem like I didn't…"

"Trust me?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at me.

"Yes," I muttered.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Bella," said Edward, waving his hand in the air. "You don't know me therefore you don't trust me. I get it. I know that Anthony and Alex have become good friends."

"Yeah, this is all so new for me," I sighed, shaking my head.

"For me as well," laughed Edward, leaning against the hood of his car. "So what do we do? I have a nasty feeling that Anthony and Alex are going to keep pushing us until we let them hang out."

"Yeah, Alex was already asking this morning if Anthony could come over," I chucked, leaning against my car. "Um, I guess we could take them to the park?"

"Park sounds good," nodded Edward. "Are you free after school or do you have to work?"

"Yeah, that's fine," I smiled. "So, I guess I'll see you later."

"Cool," chuckled Edward, pushing off his car. "Have a nice day, Bella."

"You too, Edward," I snorted, shaking my head.

I climbed into my car and headed back home. That went much better than I thought it was going to. Maybe Alex would actually talk to me today. I pulled my car into the driveway and headed inside. The phone was ringing as I threw open the front door. I ran into the kitchen and hit the talk button without looking at the ID.

"Hello?" I answered, breathlessly.

"Bella?" asked a voice I hadn't heard in nearly six years. "Is that you?"

"Yeah," I muttered, sliding to the floor. "What…How'd you get my number, Lauren?"

"I, um, called your dad," said Lauren Mallory. I pulled my knees up to my chest. "How's everything going?"

"Fine," I said, softly. "How's everything with you?"

"Oh, good, I guess," she sighed. "I'm pregnant."

"Oh," I muttered.

"Bella, I…" she trailed off. "I'm so sorry. I wish…"

"Me too," I whispered, letting my tears fall freely. "Are you married?"

"Yeah, for about a year," she said. "His name is Tyler. He's a good man. Brody would have liked him."

"I'm sure he would have," I muttered.

"I was wondering if I could come see you," said Lauren.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea," I said, quickly.

"Bella, I would like to meet him," whispered Lauren.

"Well, I'm sure he would have liked to known his father but you took him away from us, didn't you?" I asked, harshly.

"Bella-"

"Don't call me again," I muttered.

I hung up the phone and let it drop onto the floor. Curling up on the floor, I let my tears fall freely. I'm not sure how long I had been laying in the middle of the kitchen floor when I heard someone banging on my front door. I scrambled to my feet, kicking the phone away from me in the process. I ran into the living room and pulled open the front door. My traitor father was standing in the door way. I glared at him as I turned and headed back into the kitchen.

"I'm guessing she called," sighed Charlie, shutting door behind him. I ignored him as I picked up the phone and placed it back on the charger. "I'm taking it the conversation didn't go very good, either."

"No shit," I muttered, turning and looking at him. "How could you give her my number?"

"Cause she's his family," said Charlie, firmly.

"She wants to meet him," I grumbled, sitting down at the table.

"Maybe you should let him," sighed Charlie, sitting down across from me. I rolled my eyes and sat back. "Bella, it was an accident."

"I know that," I muttered. "But he wouldn't have been out that night if it hadn't been for her."

"No, he wouldn't have but he was," said Charlie. I didn't know what else to say. He knew that Lauren was a sore subject fore me. "How's Alex doing in school?"

"Good," I shrugged. "He seems to like it."

"That's good," muttered Charlie.

"He and Anthony are like best buds," I said. "He got mad at me yesterday because I wouldn't let him go to Anthony's house after school. Barely said two words to me all night."

"Why didn't you let him go?" asked Charlie. I merely cocked an eyebrow at him causing him to roll his eyes as he stood up. "You can't keep him here all the time, Kiddo. Sooner or later you have to let him out."

"He's in school, isn't he?" I mumbled.

"Only cause he has to be," snorted Charlie. "I've gotta run. I'll see you later."

"Ok, bye, Dad."

I walked Charlie out and watched him as he pulled his cruiser away from the house. Sighing, I headed back into the house and went up to my office. I spent the morning checking my emails, paying bills, and wasting time on Facebook. Some of Facebook games are very addicting but at least they were distracting me from the deafening silence that surrounded me.

Just after lunch I climbed back into my car and headed down to a local sports shop. I figured if I was going to let Alex play soccer he may need things like cleats and a soccer ball. I parked my car in the parking lot and headed inside. It didn't take me long to find the soccer isle but I took one look and felt my mouth fall wide open. There was way too much to pick from.

"First time?" asked a large man next to me.

I looked over at him. He was fucking huge. He had to be at least six foot five. That alone would have been impressive but it was more than that. It was the fact that his arms were the size of both my thighs put together and his thighs were even bigger. He wasn't fat at all. No, he was a sold mass of muscle that would make most weight lifters look like Popeye.

"Um, yeah," I muttered, quickly looking away. "I have no idea what I am going to need."

"How old is your kid?" he asked.

"Five," I said. "First time playing."

"Boy or girl?" he asked

"Boy," I smiled.

"Ok," he said, looking around. "Well, does he have a ball?"

"No."

"Ok, well, you can probably get a pretty standard ball for him. Favorite color?" asked the man.

"Um, red and blue," I smiled. "He loves Spiderman."

"Sounds like my nephew," chuckled the man. He pulled a red and blue soccer ball off the shelf and handed it to me. "What size shoe does he wear?"

"Um, 11 in kids," I said.

"Ok, follow me," he smiled. I followed him over to the shoes. There had to be at least fifty different type of shoes to choice from.

"Crap," I muttered.

"I would get either the Nike brand or the Adidas," explained the man. "It's all my son will wear."

"How old is he?" I asked, picking up a black and white shoe and looking it over.

"Seven," smiled the man. "He's playing soccer too."

"Oh," I said. "Well, I guess I'll get these. They seem ok. I hope they fit him."

"Eh, let him try them on. You can always bring them back," shrugged the man. "Need anything else?"

"I don't think so," I laughed. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem," chuckled the man. "I was a newbie to the world of being a sports parents once, too."

I chuckled as I headed over to the check out line. By the time I ran back to the house and dropped off everything and made it back to the school, I was running late. I parked my car in the first space I could find and nearly jumped out of my car. I ran over to the gates and froze when I saw the big man from the store talking to Edward. He looked up at me and smiled.

"You."

**Thank you for all the reviews! Please keep them coming. I really do love to read each and everyone of them. **


	4. Chapter 4

EPOV

I watched as Bella pulled her car out of the school's parking lot and headed to where ever she was going. I'll admit to being a little surprised when she suggested we take the boys to the park but I was grateful. Anthony had already asked me at least five times this morning if I was going to talk to her about Alex coming over.

I climbed into my car and headed back home. I rolled my eyes when I saw my mother sitting on the steps of my house, basket of some kind of baked goods in her hands. Taking a deep breath, I climbed out of the car and headed over to her.

"What are you doing here so early, Mom?" I asked, unlocking the front door.

"Hello, Edward, how nice to see you, too," she said, sarcastically as she followed me inside. I merely snorted as I headed into the kitchen and poured myself a fourth cup of coffee. I was going to need it today. "Long night?"

"Yep," I muttered. "You want a cup?"

"No, I already had my two cup maximum this morning," laughed Esme, placing the basket in the counter next to me. "I brought you and Anthony dinner for tonight. I have a chicken spaghetti, a tossed salad, and some homemade rolls. I also made you a pie."

"Guess I wasn't the only one who had a long night," I mused.

"Eh, I couldn't sleep," she shrugged.

"Um, Mom," I said, watching as she unloaded the basket. She easily had enough food in here for a family of five. "We won't eat all of this."

"Leftovers," she shrugged, shoving the bowls into my hands. "Now, I wrote out how high to heat the oven and how long to cook the casserole for so even you can't screw it up."

"Gee, thanks, Mom," I scoffed, shoving the food into the fridge.

"Oh, don't be such a baby," she laughed, sitting down at the kitchen table. I grabbed my coffee cup and sat across from her. For a moment, neither of us spoke. "Dad told me about last night."

"Why am I not surprised," I muttered, darkly.

"I'm not going to tell you what you already know, Edward," said Esme. "Just don't stay mad at Emmett. You know he was only thinking about you and Anthony."

"I'm not mad at him, Mom," I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. "I think I'm doing a fine job with Anthony."

"Of course you are," she smiled, standing up. She came around the table and kissed the top of my head. "You're a good dad, Edward."

"Thanks, Mom," I whispered.

"You're welcome," she smiled. "I had better go. Jasper is dropping Ivy off in a bit."

"Ok, Mom, love you," I said, standing up.

"Love you, too, darling."

After Esme left, I headed up to my office and tried to work. Well, I tried anyway. I ended up spending all day playing Frontierville on Facebook. I'm not even sure why I got on there but I guess it was better than paying bills or going through my email, that was full of span anyway. Finally, it was time for me to go pick up Anthony from school. I was going to have to find something to do because this crap was getting old and fast.

I parked my car next to Emmett's large, red jeep and headed over to the gates. He was leaning against the wall with his hands shoved into his pockets, tapping his foot on the ground in front of him. I nearly snorted. Emmett was nervous and I thought it was hilarious. He looked up at me and frowned.

"Edward, man, I'm sorry," he said, softly.

"Don't worry about it," I muttered as Bella came running up to us. Emmett looked over at her and smiled.

"You," he laughed. "Are you following me?"

"Um, no?" said Bella, looking from me to Emmett. "Are you following me? Cause I know karate and I'll use it."

"Are you threatening me?" laughed Emmett as Angela and Kate came over. They were both watching the confrontation between Bella and Emmett with confused looks on their faces.

"Yes," said Bella, seriously.

"I'm a cop," he snorted.

"And?" asked Bella, cocking her eyebrow at him. "Is that supposed to scare me?"

"Yes," smiled Emmett.

"Huh, well, it doesn't," smirked Bella.

"I'm Emmett Cullen and I think I like you," laughed Emmett, holding his hand out her.

"Cullen?" asked Bella, looking over at me.

"Yeah, Emmett's my brother and Rose's husband," I explained.

"Oh," said Bella, looking back at him. "I'm Bella Swan."

"Bella?" asked Emmett, looking over at me. "The chick Anthony was talking about last night?"

"Um, yes, Emmett, this is Alex's mom," I muttered, rolling my eyes as I looked over at Bella, who looked surprised that my son was talking about her. "He was telling us about the breakfasts you make. Apparently, Alex bragged."

"Oh," said Bella.

Thankfully, Christina chose that moment to come over and open the gate. Emmett was still laughing to himself as he, Angela, and Kate headed inside. I gave Bella a soft smile as I motioned for her to go first. She gave me a small smile as she headed inside. I followed her in and over to Alice's classroom just as Alice opened her door.

"See you tomorrow, kids," squealed Alice.

"Dad, did you talk to her?" asked Anthony running over to me.

"Yes," I chuckled, squatting down in front of him. "We are going to take you and Alex to the park so we can get to know each other. Then maybe, we can see about having Alex over, ok?"

"Thank you, Dad," cheered Anthony, jumping over to where Bella and Alex were. "Did you hear that, Alex?"

"Yeah, it's so cool, huh?" laughed Alex. Bella chuckled as she and I both stood up.

"Um, so I guess I'll follow you over there?" I asked.

"Yeah, that sounds good," smiled Bella.

"See ya later, Karate girl," laughed Emmett, walking past us with Elliott.

"Whoa," gasped Alex, looking over at Anthony. "That guys huge!"

"That's my Uncle Emmett," shrugged Anthony. "Nana says he's just a big softly."

I heard Alice burst out laughing behind us. I couldn't really blame her. Emmett really was a big softly. I mean, he could kick just about anyone's butt but he wouldn't unless there was a reason to. Shaking my head at my son, I picked up his backpack and herded him out of the school after Bella and Alex. Once we had the boys loaded in our cars, I followed Bella over to a park a few blocks from the school. As soon as we had the boys out of our cars, they took off towards the jungle gym.

"Stay where you can see us," yelled Bella, nervously. "God, you would think they've never been to a park before."

"No kidding," I snorted. Bella and I headed over to a bench that sat just off the playground. We could keep our eyes on the boys but we weren't hovering over them. "So, Bella…what do you do for a living?"

"Um, I'm a writer," she said, looking over at me. "How about you?"

"I'm a photographer," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Mostly family portraits and stuff like that."

"Oh, that's cool," smiled Bella.

"It's a living, I guess," I sighed. "So do you write books or what?"

"Um, yeah," said Bella, blushing a soft pink. "I've had a few books published over the years."

"What kind of books?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at her. "Maybe I've read them."

"Cheesy, romance novels mostly," muttered Bella, looking over at the boys. They were climbing onto of the monkey bars. "God, he's going to fall and break his head open. Alex, be careful!"

"He'll be fine," I chuckled. Bella smiled as she looked back over at me.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Sure," I said.

"Alex said something this morning about…" Bella trailed off as she looked back at the boys.

"About?" I asked.

"About Anthony not having a mom," muttered Bella, looking back at me. My smile fell from my face. "You don't have to answer. I'm sorry, I'm such an ass."

"Bella, it's fine," I sighed, running my hands over my face.

"No, it's not. I shouldn't have said anything," mumbled Bella.

"Anthony's mother passed away just before his first birthday," I said, softly. "She, um, got sick and…Anyway, it's been just me and him for the past four years. I just didn't think he talked about her."

"Oh," whispered Bella, watching the boys. They were hiding inside one of the slides. Every once in a while we would hear one of them laugh. "Alex's father was killed in a car accident before he was born."

"I'm sorry," I muttered. Bella looked over at me.

"I'm sorry about your wife," she whispered.

"Thanks," I said, awkwardly. For several minutes we just sat there listening to the kids. I wasn't sure what to say to her.

"It's nice to not be the only single parent," whispered Bella, looking back over at me. Suddenly, she threw her hands to her mouth. "I'm sorry, I guess that was a stupid thing to say."

"No, it wasn't," I said. "It can be hard to be around all of them. I'm around them all the time between Emmett and Rose, Alice and her husband, Jasper."

"Alice is your sister?" asked Bella.

"Yes, my little sister," I smiled. "Emmett's the oldest and nice job with him today, by the way."

"Thanks," snorted Bella. "My father is the Chief of Police in Forks. I've been around cops since the day I was born. Although, none quite as big as him. Is he on steroids?"

"No," I laughed. "At least I don't think so. Emmett's ex-marines."

"Ah," muttered Bella. "Guess that explains it."

"Mom, I'm starving," whined Alex, running over to us with Anthony on his heels.

"Me too, Dad," grumbled Anthony, rubbing his stomach.

"Ok, well, I guess we should get home and get some dinner," said Bella, standing up.

"Can Anthony and his dad come over for dinner?" begged Alex.

"Alex, his name is Mr. Cullen," corrected Bella.

"Edward," I interjected. Bella looked over at me. "If it's ok with you, he can call me Edward. Mr. Cullen makes me feel old."

"You are old," snorted Anthony. I narrowed my eyes at him. "What? You are?"

"Anyway, we can't come for dinner, Alex," I said. "Anthony's Nana made us dinner."

"Oh, Can they come to our house for dinner?" begged Anthony, jumping up and down. He looked over at Bella and Alex. "My Nana is the best cook."

"Um," muttered Bella, biting on her bottom lip as she looked over at me.

"We have plenty," I said, raising an eyebrow at her. She looked from me to Anthony to Alex.

"Please, Mom?" whispered Alex, sticking out his bottom lip. Bella rolled her eyes at him.

"Fine," she sighed. "That's cheating, little boy."

"Whatever," shrugged Alex. "Grandpa said to use whatever means necessary."

"Huh, guess it's time to have a little chat with Grandpa," muttered Bella, shaking her head. "I'll follow you."

"Ok," I laughed.

Bella and I got the boys loaded up in our cars. Anthony was bouncing up and down in his seat the entire way home. I had never seen him so excited. Bella pulled her car up in the driveway behind my car. As soon as we had the boys out, they took off running into the backyard.

"Guess, they are playing in the back for awhile," I laughed.

"Apparently," snorted Bella. "This is a great house."

"Thanks," I said, leading her up to the front door. "It's home, I guess."

"So you work from home?" asked Bella, following me into the kitchen.

"Well, yes and no," I said, pulling out the chicken spaghetti. "Does Alex like chicken spaghetti?"

"He'll eat anything," smiled Bella. "He's not picky at all."

"Wish Anthony wasn't but he is pretty particular about his food," I chuckled. I turned on the oven and placed the casserole inside. "Can I get you something to drinks? I have water, tea, Kool-Aid, soda…"

"Water's fine," said Bella, taking a seat at the table. I grabbed us each a bottle of water and sat down across from her. "So you were telling me about your job."

"Right," I said. "I run my business through the house but I have a studio where I actually take my pictures. I mostly work on the weekends, but I might be changing that now that Anthony is in school all day. Honestly, I've been bored stiff."

"Oh my god, me too," laughed Bella, falling back into her seat. "Thank god, it's not just me."

"No, it's not," I chuckled. "I actually resorted to playing on those stupid Facebook games today just to have something to do."

"Me too," snorted Bella, shaking her head. "It's pathetic but I find our house is too quiet. I'm used to having Alex around me all the time. I've come very close to actually turning on the Disney channel."

"Whoa, that's pretty bad," I laughed as the back door opened and Alex and Anthony came running in.

"Dad, how long until dinner?" asked Anthony.

"About ten minutes," I said, looking down at my watch. "Why don't you two wash up and then you can set the table."

"Ok, come on, Alex," yelled Anthony, taking off with Alex on his heels.

"No running," yelled both me and Bella.

I laughed as I went over to the fridge and started pulling out the rest of dinner. Bella came over and helped me pull plates and glasses from the fridge. The boys came back in a few minutes later. Anthony grabbed the plates while Alex grabbed the silverware and napkins. I poured them both a glass of milk before I pulled the spaghetti out of the oven and set it on the table. Bella and I fixed the boys plates. I was shocked when Anthony said he would have some salad after Alex got some. He normally hated vegetables.

"This is so good," said Alex, taking a bite of his chicken spaghetti.

"Better than mine?" asked Bella, cocking her eyebrow at her son.

"Yep," said Alex. Bella gasped dramatically. "I mean, no Mom, yours is the best."

"I don't think I believe you," laughed Bella. She took a bite of her own food. "Hmm, this is better than mine."

"Nana's the best cook ever," said Anthony, like it was a matter of fact. "She said she was going to teach Dad how to cook but she hasn't. He still burns everything."

"I didn't burn this," I pointed out.

"All you did was reheat it, Dad," scoffed Anthony. "How hard can that be?"

"Wow, feel the love," I sighed, shaking my head.

Bella laughed softly as she continued to eat. The boys entertained us with stories from school. Mostly about the girls who chased them on the playground. I don't think I've laughed this much in a long time. Once the boys were done eating, managing to eat seconds of everything, they ran into the living room and started watching TV.

"Thank you for dinner," said Bella, standing up and grabbing their plates.

"I'll get the dishes," I said, waving her off.

"Nonsense," scoffed Bella. "You cooked after all."

"Oh, no, I just reheat, remember?" I laughed, grabbed a few more dishes from the table. "Seriously, I'll get them."

"I really don't mind," chuckled Bella. "I actually got a night off for a change."

"It's fine, really," I insisted.

"Ok," sighed Bella, shaking her head. "I should probably get Alex home, anyway."

Bella and I headed into the living room. Anthony and Alex were laying on the couch, fast asleep. I guess they wore themselves out. Bella went over and picked Alex up. He wrapped his arms and legs around her but didn't wake up.

"Thanks again," whispered Bella.

"Anytime," I whispered.

Bella carried Alex out to the car and loaded him into his seat. I watched as they drove off from the front door. I shut the door and locked it before I went over to the couch and lifted my son in my arms. Groggily, he opened his eyes and looked at me.

"Alex and Bella?" he muttered.

"They had to go home," I said, softly. "Let's get you to bed."

"Ok," he mumbled.

I carried Anthony upstairs and changed him into his pajamas before I laid him in his bed. Once I had tucked him into his blankets, I leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"Dad, thanks for letting them come over," whispered Anthony.

"You're welcome, kiddo," I whispered. "Sleep now."

I headed back downstairs and quickly cleaned up the kitchen. I turned off all the lights before I headed back upstairs. I changed into my pajamas and climbed into my bed. I picked up my book and started reading. I'm not sure how long I had been reading when I heard Anthony's door open. I looked over and saw him come stumbling into my room.

"What are you doing up?" I asked.

"Can I sleep with you?" he asked. I smiled as I pulled the blankets back and patted on the bed. He climbed in and snuggled into the bed. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too, Anthony."

I reached over and flipped off my lamp and scooted down into the bed. A moment later, I felt Antony scoot closer to me. I smiled to myself as I drifted off to sleep next to my son.

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews! Please keep them coming. I love to hear from each and every one of you. **


	5. Chapter 5

BPOV

"Mom, wake up," whined Alex, jumping on my bed. I groaned and pulled the pillow over my head. "Mom, don't make me call grandpa."

"I'm not scared of grandpa," I muttered.

"Fine," laughed Alex, jumping off my bed.

_Oh, crap,_ I thought, scrambling out of the bed. He really was going to call Charlie. I ran out of my room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Alex was sitting at the table gabbing to Charlie on the phone like he was informing him that I had just beaten the snot out of him.

"She's up now, Grandpa," laughed Alex. He held out the phone to me. "You're in trouble."

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, putting the phone up to my ear. "I didn't do it."

"So you didn't tell him that you're not scared of me?" asked Charlie, laughing.

"Ok, so I did but I'm not scared of you, old man," I laughed. I looked over at Alex, who was looking pretty damn proud of himself. "Someone is just impatient this morning."

"Am not," grumbled Alex, heading into the living room.

"Wow, I miss it when you were little," sighed Charlie.

"No, you don't," I snickered, sitting down at the table. "He's just excited because today is soccer day."

"Well, that explains it all," chuckled Charlie. "I can't believe you are actually going to let him play. I mean what if he actually breathes in fresh air."

"Funny, Dad," I muttered. "I'm not sure I like it but he really wants to play and Anthony is playing so I guess I'll let him."

"It's good for him, Bella," said Charlie. "He needs to be out there with other kids."

"I know," I grumbled. "Anyway, I had better go so I get him some breakfast made before it's time to become soccer mom."

"Ok, Honey, have fun and no fighting with the other parents," laughed Charlie.

"I make no promises," I chuckled. "Talk to you later."

I hung up and headed out to the living room. Alex was sitting in front of the TV watching Scooby Doo. He was already wearing his black shorts, red t-shirt, shoes, and cleats, that thankfully fit perfectly. He had his soccer ball in his lap and was drumming his fingers on it. He was clearly very excited.

"Ok, kid, what do you want for breakfast?" I asked.

"Eggs?" he asked.

"Eggs it is," I smiled.

I headed into the kitchen and pulled out the eggs. It didn't take me very long to scramble each of us a couple eggs, his with cheese, and make us some toast. Alex came in and started shoveling his food into his mouth.

"Whoa, slow down," I laughed. "You're going to make yourself sick."

"Mom, can I asked you something?" asked Alex, swallowing his food.

"Of course you can," I smiled.

"Why do you always make me breakfast?" he asked.

"I figured you would like to eat," I laughed.

"No, I'm serious," he said, rolling his eyes. "Anthony said that Edward just gives him cereal or frozen waffles," said Alex, grimacing.

"So you want me to just start making you frozen waffles instead of real ones?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at him.

"NO," he yelled. "No, that's not what I'm saying, Mom. I was just wondering why you cook me breakfast."

"Well, maybe Edward doesn't know how to make waffles or pancakes, and everything else I make for you," I explained.

"You should teach him," said Alex, finishing his eggs.

"Yeah, we'll see," I snorted, shaking my head. "Go brush your teeth so we can go."

"Ok," cheered Alex, jumping out of his seat.

I gathered our plates and washed them quickly. I grabbed us each a bottle of water and headed out to the living room. Alex was waiting for me by the front door, rather impatiently in fact. Resisting the urge to roll my own eyes, I ushered him out of the house and out to the car. As soon as I had him loaded inside, I climbed in behind the wheel and headed off to the park for soccer evaluations.

The park was full of kids and parents who had shown up today. I took a deep breath as I got Alex out of the car. He wasn't quite as excited as he was when he left the house. He didn't like big crowds any more than I did. He held onto my hand as we made our way over to everyone else.

"ALEX!" yelled Anthony, bouncing over to us. I felt Alex relax immediately.

"Anthony, stop yelling," said Edward, running after him. He shook his head as he looked over at me and Alex. "He's just a little bit excited."

"I can tell," I smiled. "Alex is, too."

"Well, Boys, if you are ready, let's go get you out on the field," said Edward, looking down at the boys.

"Um, ok," muttered Alex.

"Hey, you ok?" asked Edward, squatting down in front of my son. "You look a little nervous."

"I don't know how to play," whispered Alex, looking at the ground.

"You know, what? Most of these kids aren't going to know how to play," said Edward. "But as long as you try and have some fun, it'll be ok. Now are you ready?"

"Ok, let's go," whispered Alex.

"Come on, Alex," said Anthony. "I'll show you what to do."

"He'll be ok, Bella," said Edward. I looked at him doubtfully. "He will. Just relax."

"Yeah, I'm trying," I muttered.

As Edward headed after the boys, I made my way to an empty spot on the side and sat down in the grass. Anthony pulled Alex into a line that Emmett was running with a tall man with blond hair. They were having the kids practice kicking the ball. Anthony went first and kicked the ball quite far. I found myself holding my breath as Alex ran up to kick the ball. As soon as his foot made contact with the ball, the ball went soaring through the air several feet. I let my breath out as Emmett gave Alex a high five and sent him to the back of the line.

"Hey, Bella," giggled Alice, plopping down in the grass next to me.

I smiled as I looked over at her. She had an adorable baby girl in her arms. She had the same dark hair as Alice and an amazing pair of blue eyes. She had the baby girl dressed in a little mini soccer uniform but it was pink and white. The baby reached out and climbed into my lap.

"I guess she likes you," laughed Alice.

"Guess so," I smiled. "What's her name?"

"Ivy," sighed Alice.

"That's a pretty name," I said, softly. Ivy reached up and grabbed onto a strand of my hair. "I remember when Alex was little like this."

"Edward said the same thing about Anthony just the other day," laughed Alice. I placed Ivy back in her arms and looked back at Alex. He was laughing at something that Edward was telling him.

"Hey, Alice," said Rose, sitting down next to Alice. She looked over at me and smiled. "Bella, I heard you met Emmett."

"Yeah, he, um, tried to intimated me," I muttered, embarrassedly.

"He's such a goober," snorted Rose, shaking her head. She looked over at me. "So how's Alex liking school?"

"Fine, I guess," I said, softly. "I mean, he doesn't really want to go but I think Anthony helps him."

"Alex helps Anthony a lot too," interjected Alice. "They are really good together."

"Good," I whispered, looking back out the field. "That's good."

Alex was now in a different line where they were kicking the ball back and forth. He was kicking the ball to a little girl with long dark hair. It seemed like to me that he was doing pretty good but then again, I really didn't know anything about soccer.

"Hey, guys," sighed a woman with curly, brown hair and dark eyes, sitting down next to Rose.

"Hey, Jessica," said Rose. "This is Bella. Her son, Alex, is in Alice's class. Bella, this is Jessica. Her daughter, Sadie, is in Elliott's class."

"It's nice to meet you, Bella," smiled Jessica.

"You too," I murmured.

"So, Jess, how's everything going with Mike?" asked Alice. Jessica rolled her eyes as she sighed and looked at Alice.

"He's being such an ass," she muttered. "First, he wants to change drop off locations. Apparently McDonalds is 'Too Public' for him."

"Where would he suggest you met?" asked Rose, shaking her head.

"He wants me to drive all the way to his house every time it's his turn to have her," grumbled Jessica. "Of course, he probably can't drag himself from between the legs of that skank."

"How's Sadie doing with the divorce?" asked Alice.

"Ok, I guess," sighed Jessica. "She doesn't understand why mommy and daddy don't live together and why daddy has a new girlfriend. You guys don't know how lucky you are to have good men."

The whole time Jessica had been talking about her ex, I couldn't help but think about the fact that at least her daughter had a father. I'm sure this has been hard on her daughter but she still has two parents while I've been raising my son on my own since the day he was born.

"Mom, did you see me?" asked Alex, running over and plopping down in my lap. "I kicked the ball."

"You did great," I said, hugging him. Edward, Anthony, Emmett, Elliott, and the blond man came over to us.

"You must be Bella," smiled the blond man. "I'm Jasper, Alice's husband."

"It's nice to meet you," I said, softly as I stood up.

"Karate girl," laughed Emmett. "Should I be worried?"

"Yes," I said.

"You're funny," snorted Emmett. He turned to Rose as she stood up. "Baby, I should be home in about an hour or so."

"Ok, well, we'll be there," smiled Rose, kissing him. I had to turn away.

"Mom, can Anthony come over?" asked Alex.

"Um," I said, looking up at Edward.

"I have to work after the coaches meeting," explained Edward, looking down at Alex. "Anthony has to go with me."

"He could come with us," pleaded Alex.

"It's fine with me, Edward, if you don't mind," I said. "I have to go by the store but he could come with us."

"Please Dad," begged Anthony. "I'll be super good for Bella. Please?"

"Are you sure, Bella?" asked Edward, warily.

"I'm sure," I nodded.

"Ok, I'll pick him up around five if that's ok?" he asked.

"Why don't you two stay for dinner?" I suggested, vaguely aware of everyone watching us.

"That sounds great," smiled Edward. He looked down at Anthony. "Be good or else."

"Yes, sir," said Anthony, saluting to Edward.

"I'll be right back," snorted Edward, looking over at Emmett, who was watching us with a cocky look on his face. "What?"

"Nothing," smirked Emmett. Edward rolled his eyes as he ran over to his car. He came back a moment later with Anthony's booster seat. "So, Bella, are you married?"

"Emmett," hissed Edward.

"My mom doesn't have a husband," said Alex. "My dad went to heaven before I was born."

"Oh," mumbled Emmett, while everyone else just stared at me. I knew that look. It was pity.

"Come on, boys," I whispered, shakily. "We had better get going. Edward, we'll, um, see you later."

"Yeah," muttered Edward.

I tightened my grip on Anthony's booster seat as I led the boys across the field, leaving everyone gawking at me. I got the boys loaded into my car and headed off to the store, trying to get their faces out of my head. I parked my car in the parking lot in front of the grocery store and cut the engine. I took another deep breath as I turned back to the boys.

"Who's ready to buy some food?" I asked.

"Me," cheered Anthony. I laughed as I climbed out and unloaded both boys. "My Dad hates coming to the store."

"Why is that?" I asked as we headed inside.

"I don't know," shrugged Anthony. "He said the women look at him like he's a piece of meat. I didn't understand what he meant."

"Oh, well, I think he was saying that the women think he's pretty," I laughed, grabbing a shopping cart.

"Oh," grumbled Anthony. "Boys aren't supposed to be pretty."

"Yeah, they are supposed to be handsome," explained Alex.

"Oh, I see," I smiled. "Ok, so the first item on our list are some carrots."

The boys ran ahead of me and the basket, laughing with each other. We spent a good deal of time going through the produce aisle, picking out the perfect head of lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, potatoes, and several other vegetables. Once they had loaded my basket with everything we needed from there we moved onto the frozen foods where Alex begged me to buy some popsicles. He gave me the puppy dog face and I caved. I was a sucker.

"Anthony?"

I turned and saw an older woman with chin length hair that was the exact same auburn color as Edward and Anthony's. She had bright green eyes and a huge smile on her face as she looked from the in front of me to Alex and finally to me.

"Nana!" squealed Anthony, running over and hugging the woman.

"What are you doing here, sweet boy?" asked the woman.

"Dad let me go with Bella and Alex," explained Anthony, pointing to me and my son.

"Oh, it's nice to meet the famous Alex," smiled the woman, looking down at my son. "My name is Esme or Nana, which ever you choose."

"Hi," muttered Alex, slipping his arm around my leg. Esme looked up at me.

"He's a little shy," I said, smiling at her. "I'm Bella."

"Yes, I know," laughed Esme. "I hear you are quiet the breakfast maker."

"Oh, well, I've heard that you are the best cook in the entire world," I chuckled.

"Well, I don't know about that," scoffed Esme.

"Based on the chicken spaghetti Edward shared with us the other night, I would have to agree with Anthony," I laughed. "It was delicious."

"Oh, well, thank you," smiled Esme, looking from me to Anthony. "Well, sweet boy, I must be going before Papa burns the house down. I love you."

"Love you, too, Nana," said Anthony, hugging Esme She looked down at Alex.

"It was very nice to meet you, Alex," smiled Esme. "I hope to see you again soon."

"Ok," muttered Alex.

Esme smiled at me once more before she turned and headed back the other way. Alex let go of his death grip on my leg and we finished our shopping, ending up with twice as much as I had intended to buy today. The boys helped me load the groceries into the back of my car and we headed back home. We headed into the house, each of us carrying at least two bags. The boys grabbed a popsicle before they headed out into the backyard to play. I put all the groceries up and fell onto the couch, listening to the sounds of my son playing with his friend.

**Thank you for all the reviews! Keep them coming because reviews make me happy and a happy writer is a productive writer, blah, blah, blah…**


	6. Chapter 6

EPOV

As soon as Bella, Anthony, and Alex were out of ear shot, I rounded on Emmett. I loved my brother but I had never been as pissed off as I was in that moment. What kind of moron asks something like that? I mean, shit, why did he care anyway?

"Are you just completely stupid?" I hissed.

"How was I supposed to know," grumbled Emmett.

"What did it matter?" I asked, harshly. "Do you even think before you open your mouth? God, just…ugh!"

"Edward, calm down," sighed Alice, placing a hand on my shoulder. If she wasn't holding Ivy, I would have knocked it off. "Did you know about her husband?"

"Yes," I muttered. "She and I talked about it the other day when we took the boys to the park. I didn't say anything because it wasn't any of your fu…It wasn't any of your business."

"I'm sorry," sighed Emmett. "I didn't…"

"No, you didn't. You never do. Just…" I trailed off, taking a deep breath. "Let's get to the coaches meeting."

"Ok," muttered Emmett.

I stormed off as he leaned over and kissed Rose. He was lucky there were kids around us or I would have called him every four letter word and then made up a few just for shits and giggles. I climbed into my car and headed down to the school for the meeting. I parked my car in the parking lot and headed into the cafeteria, taking the first seat I could find.

Emmett and Jasper came in a few minutes later, both looking unsure on whether or not I was going to rip Emmett's head off and set fire to his body. They took the seats next to me but I ignored them. They had no idea how hard it was to not only be single parent, but to lose your lover too. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think of Sarah. Every decision I made regarding Anthony, I found myself wondering if Sarah would make the same decision that I had.

Stan Shelton, the guy in charge of soccer program, came in a few minutes later. It didn't take us more than about forty-five minutes to get our teams picked. Luckily, we were able to get Alex on our team. Not only was he a decent little player but I wasn't sure Anthony would forgive me if his best friend wasn't on our team. We also got Kate and Garrett's little girl, Mattie, and Annabeth.

Once the meeting was over, I pushed away from the table and headed outside without speaking to Emmett or Jasper. Of course they followed me out to my car.

"Edward, man, I'm sorry," pleaded Emmett. I chuckled as I turned and looked at him.

"It's not me you should apologize to," I said, harshly. "I know that you don't know how much it…hurts to lose…but you have to stop and think every once in awhile about others. Not all of us are lucky enough to hold our wives, or husbands in Bella's case, in our arms every night. Even if she was divorced, it was still not an appropriate question to ask, especially with Alex standing right there."

"I'm an ass," muttered Emmett. "I'll apologize to Bella, ok? Just don't stay mad at me."

"I won't, Em," I sighed. "I have to go to work. I'll talk to you later, ok?"

"Ok," said Emmett.

By the time I pulled my up in front of Bella's house, I was exhausted. I had three shoots this afternoon and none of them went very well. The first family wanted pictures of their new baby. The little girl was adorable but the mother hovered over my shoulder the entire time while the father bitched about my prices. The second family wanted a family portrait down of them and their twin boy who were five. It took nearly half an hour to coax one of them to sit down next to his mother and to stop the other one from climbing on every piece of equipment I had. Like that wasn't bad enough, the last person I had was a girl around the age of sixteen, who was getting some shots down for her modeling portfolio. She spent the entire time flirting with me. It was one of those days from hell and exactly why I don't work more than a few days a week.

I sighed as I climbed out of my car and headed up to Bella's front door. I had just barely rung the doorbell when she opened the door. I couldn't stop the hysterical laughter that exploded out of my mouth. Bella was standing in front of me wearing a Darth Vader helmet and holding a blue light saber.

"What?" she asked, from behind the helmet.

"Um, nothing," I laughed. "Um, may I have entrance onto the Death Star?"

"I suppose," she laughed, stepping aside. I shook my head as I stepped into the house. "They bribed me to play with them."

"With what?" I asked, as she pulled the helmet off. Her face was rosy red but she was smiling.

"Hugs," shrugged Bella. "What can I say, I'm easy."

"Hey, hugs are hard to come by now a day," I said, smiling. "Where are the boys?"

"Up in Alex's room," explained Bella, leading me into the kitchen. "Let's see they spent most of the afternoon out back. Then they came in and watched TV for about five seconds before they went and grabbed the Star War's gear. We played that for a good half hour before they got bored with that and went upstairs to play with Alex's Lego's."

"Wow, busy day," I chuckled. "Did Anthony behave?"

"He's perfect, Edward," smiled Bella, pulling out her griddle.

"Good," I sighed. "He usually goes to work with me or stays with his grandparents. Today would not have been a good day for him to be at work with me."

"That bad?" asked Bella, looking over at me.

"Yep," I snorted.

"Hmm, well, maybe some of my pancakes would make it better," smiled Bella.

"Pancakes?" I asked.

"Yep, I have a rep to protect," said Bella, smugly. "We ran into your mom at the store."

"You did?" I asked, warily.

"Yes," laughed Bella. "She informed me that I had been dubbed the breakfast maker by Anthony."

"Yeah, he's quite jealous about Alex's breakfasts," I snorted. "Can I help with anything?"

"Would you like some coffee?" asked Bella. "I know I could use a cup."

"Yes, please," I begged.

"Ok, well, everything is in that cabinet if you want to get it going," said Bella, gesturing with her spatula.

I quickly got the coffee going while Bella started mixing the batter for the pancakes. I settled at the table, after being told that she had everything under control. A few minutes later, the boys came running into the kitchen, red faced and laughing very hard.

"Dad!" cheered Anthony, jumping into my lap. "When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago," I said. "Did you have fun today?"

"Yeah," said Anthony. "Bella played Star Wars with us. She insisted on being Darth Vader so Alex and I had to fight her over and over and over."

"Sounds like fun," I laughed.

"It was," shrugged Anthony.

"Come on, Anthony. Let's go back outside," said Alex.

"Ok," smiled Anthony, climbing off my lap. He and Alex took off outside just as the phone rang.

"Can you get that for me?" asked Bella, flipping over a pancake.

"Sure," I said, standing up. I grabbed the phone and clicked on the talk button. "Hello."

"Who the hell is this?" asked a man, gruffly.

"This is Edward. Are you looking for Bella?" I asked. Bella looked up at me.

"This is her house, isn't it?" he asked, harshly. "Just give her the damn phone."

"Ok," I said. I held out the phone to her. "He sounds pissed."

"Crap," muttered Bella, pull the phone up to her ear. "Hello…Anthony's dad…cause I was busy…don't start…I'll call you tomorrow…Yeah, love you, too… I will, bye." Bella sighed as she hung up the phone. "Was he rude to you?"

"Just asked me who I was," I said.

"I'm sorry about that," sighed Bella, shaking her head as she went back to the pancakes. "My father is a nosy old man but he's all I have so…"

"Where's your mother?" I asked.

"Florida? Vegas? Utah?" said Bella, looking over at me. "I don't really know. She's not what you would call an active parent."

"Oh," I muttered. "Sorry."

"Don't be," smiled Bella. "My dad was a great father."

"That's good," I said, softly.

"Well, if you will call the boys in, we can eat," said Bella, pulling the last of the pancakes off the griddle.

I went over to the front door and called the boys in. I helped them both wash and dry their hands while Bella placed a couple pancakes on both of their plates, cutting them up into bit sized pieces. I thought Anthony's face was going to break when he smiled as he saw the pancakes. Once we all had our pancakes, milk, and coffee, we settled down at the table. I watched Anthony as he took his first bite of his pancakes.

"Are they good?" I asked.

"Uh huh," he muttered with his mouth full of food. He quickly swallowed. "Best pancakes ever. You need to learn how to make these, Dad."

"I don't know," I sighed, taking my own bite. They were delicious, and while I would never tell my mother this, they were better than Esme's. "These are pretty good."

"Better than Nana's but we won't tell her that," laughed Anthony.

"Why not?" asked Alex, looking over at Anthony.

"Cause Nana's a girl and she might cry," said Anthony.

"I'm a girl," pointed out Bella.

"No, you're not," scoffed Alex. "You're a mom."

"I'm a girl, too," laughed Bella.

"Ok, Mom, whatever you say," laughed Alex, patting Bella's hand.

I couldn't help but laugh at the two of them. Anthony was too busy stuffing pancakes into his mouth. You would think the boy had never been feed before. Bella rolled her eyes and told Alex to finish eating. The boys told me about every second they spent together today. It was nice to see Anthony smile this much, to see him laughing with someone other than his cousin or family.

"Can we go watch TV?" asked Alex, once he and Anthony had both had a second helping of pancakes.

"Sure," smiled Bella. "Not too loud though, ok?"

"Ok," they said, scrambling out of the kitchen.

"I guess your rep for being the queen of breakfast is still in tact," I laughed, picking up the boys' plates. "They were really good pancakes."

"Thank you," said Bella, blushing softly. "I love having breakfast for dinner. I think it taste better."

"I do, too," I said, softly. "Bella, about Emmett-"

"Don't worry about it," muttered Bella. "He didn't know. It's not like it's something I advertise."

"But to bring up your husband-"

"I wasn't married," said Bella, turning in front of the sink and looking at me. "Alex's father, Brody, and I were engaged but we hadn't gotten married yet."

"Oh, I'm sorry for assuming," I muttered, sitting down at the table.

"Don't be," frowned Bella, sitting back down across from me. "Brody and I met in high school. Typical high sweetheart story, I suppose. I was sixteen and he was seventeen. We dated for three years before he proposed to me. He wanted to get married right away but I was nineteen and not ready for marriage. After being engaged for two years, we were finally going to get married," said Bella, blinking back her tears.

"You have to…" I trailed off.

"It was the night before our wedding," said Bella, shaking her head. "His sister, Lauren, had called him from some trashy biker bar, drunk off her ass. Brody, being the amazing man he was, went to pick her up. He was a block from the bar when he was hit by another car. The driver walked away from the accident with scrapes and bruises but Brody…He died instantly."

"God, I'm…so sorry," I muttered.

"I didn't know pregnant until I collapsed at his funeral. They took me to the hospital and ran a few tests…" Bella grabbed a napkin and wiped her tears off. "I'm sorry. I don't talk about him much. I don't want to make Alex sad."

"Don't be," I said softly. "My wife, Sarah, had a heart defect that she never knew about until she got pregnant with Anthony. The doctors told us that the strain of carrying him to term would most likely…"

"She must have loved him very much," whispered Bella.

"She did," I said, taking a deep breath. "After she had him, she got so weak and she just couldn't hold on anymore…She was on the list for a transplant but her heart just gave out on her before she could get one."

"I'm sorry," murmured Bella. Neither Bella nor I said anything else for several minutes. I may be a single dad but at least I had my brother, sister, and parents. Besides her father, it sounded like Bella was completely alone. "Wow, it got quiet in here."

"I'm not sure what to say," I said, honestly.

"Me either," said Bella, standing up and going back over to the sink. I followed her over and started helping her with the dishes. "You're close to your family, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am," I chuckled. "They can be annoying and slightly overbearing but they've been very supportive. I don't know if Anthony and I would have been here if they hadn't helped us."

"You're lucky," smiled Bella. "Lauren wants to meet Alex. She called me the other day. I hadn't talked to her since the funeral and she just called."

"You don't want her to meet him?" I asked.

"No, I don't," sighed Bella, looking over at me. "I know it's not her fault, logically at least. She was drunk and she knew not to drive but if she hadn't…Alex would have his dad here to teach him soccer and baseball and everything else that dads are supposed to teach their kids."

"That's true," I said.

"He would want her to know him, though," muttered Bella, handing me a plate. "He and Lauren were really close and I know that Brody would want Alex to know her but…"

"How do you let go of your anger and let her in," I finished for her.

"Yeah," sighed Bella, looking up at me.

"I don't know, Bella. Sarah's family blames me for her death. They told her she should have gotten rid of him and saved herself," I muttered, shaking my head. "Sarah told them to go to hell. That our son was worth it all and he was but…" I took a deep breath. "I never thought I would be raising him on my own."

"But you're doing a great job," smiled Bella, patting me on the arm. "He's a good kid and you're a good dad."

"Thank you," I said. "You're a good mom, Bella."

"I try," she shrugged, stifling her yawn.

"I should go and let you and Alex get to bed," I chuckled.

"Sorry, he had me up very early this morning," smiled Bella as we walked into the living room. Alex and Anthony were sitting side by side on the couch, surrounded by stuffed animals.

"Anthony, help Alex pick up. We need to get going," I said.

"He doesn't need to help," said Bella, waving us off. "I'll get them."

"No-"

"It's fine, really," smiled Bella.

"Ok, ok," I laughed, putting my hands up. "Anthony, let's go."

"Ok," he huffed, extracting himself from the zoo around him. "See you later, Alex."

"Bye," yawned Alex, rubbing his eyes. Anthony came over and hugged Bella. She gasped softly and hugged him back.

"Thank you for the pancakes, Bella," he said. "They were really good."

"You're welcome, Sweetheart," smiled Bella. "Thank you for coming over and playing with us today. Maybe you can come over again real soon, ok?"

"Ok," cheered Anthony. I smiled and shook my head at my son.

"Thanks again for dinner, Bella," I said, softly.

"No problem," she said, smiling. "Thanks for listening to me babble on. It's nice to have a friend."

"For me, too."

I got Anthony loaded up into the car and we headed home. He was nearly asleep when I pulled the car up into the driveway. I lifted him out of the car and carried him into the house. I helped him change into his pajamas and brush his teeth before tucking him into bed.

"Dad?" asked Anthony.

"What?"

"I was thinking," he said. "Since Alex doesn't have a dad, maybe you should be his. Then Bella could be my mom, since I don't have one."

"It doesn't work like that," I said, softly.

"Why not?" he asked.

"It's hard to explain," I said, pushing his auburn hair out of his face.

"Dad?" asked Anthony.

"What?" I asked.

"Mom would have liked Bella, wouldn't she?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think Mom would have liked Bella," I smiled.

"Then it would be ok for her to be mom, right?" he asked.

"Go to sleep," I sighed. "We are going to Nana and Papa's tomorrow."

"Ok," he mumbled, already drifting to sleep.

I left his door about halfway open and headed down the hall to my room. I changed into my pajamas and climbed into my bed. As I drifted off to sleep, my dreams shifted from Sarah to Bella and the boys.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Please keep them coming. I am really loving this story, as well as the rest of mine. So now we know about Brody and Sarah. Let me know what you thought about them.**


	7. Chapter 7

BPOV

I was startled awake the next morning when I heard someone banging on my front door. Not knocking, banging like the end of the world was coming and they were the town crier. I nearly fell as I climbed out of my bed and grabbed the baseball bat Charlie had ordered me to keep next to the bed. I rushed down the stairs and threw open the front door, bat raised, and ready to beat the shit out of whoever was banging on my door at seven in the morning.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I snapped at Emmett. He was standing on my porch with two cups of coffee and a bag of donuts.

"I came to apologize," he said, smiling at me. He held out the coffee and donuts to me. "Here."

"How'd you know where I live?" I asked, ignoring his peace offering.

"I'm a cop," he shrugged. I snorted as I turned, leaving the door open, and walked into the kitchen. "Can I come in?"

I ignored him as I picked up the phone and called Edward to let him know his idiot brother was here. The phone rang and rang and rang before I heard a loud thumb followed by a few four letter words.

"Hello?" grumbled Edward.

"Can you explain to me why your brother is standing in my doorway at seven in the morning with coffee and donuts?" I asked.

"Bella?" asked Edward.

"Yes, Edward," I said, sharply. "Did you hear me? Emmett is here with fucking coffee and donuts at seven in the damn morning. On a Sunday!"

"Fuck," muttered Edward. "Ok, I'll be there in five. Don't let him leave. If you have to, put him in a choke hold."

"Ok," I said, hanging up. I walked into the living room and pointed to the couch. "Sit."

"Bella-"

"Sit," I snapped. Emmett scurried over to the couch and sat down. I shut the door and went over and sat down on the other side of the couch. "What kind of coffee?"

"Carmel Macchiato from Starbucks," muttered Emmett. I narrowed my eyes as I reached over and grabbed one of the cups.

"You didn't poison it, did you?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at him.

"No," scoffed Emmett. I snorted as I sat back and sipped the coffee. It was good. We sat there in silence for a few minutes, sipping on the coffee he had brought. "Listen, Bella, I wanted to-"

Emmett was interrupted when someone knocked on the front door. I swear, his head snapped over to the door so fast, I thought his neck might snap. I smirked as I set my coffee down on the table and stood up. I went over and pulled open the door. Edward was standing in the doorway with Anthony wrapped around his body, still asleep.

"Go lay him down in Alex's room," I whispered. Edward just nodded before he headed upstairs with the boy.

"You called my brother," hissed Emmett, scrambling to his feet.

"Of course I did," I snapped. "You showed up at my house at seven in the damn morning like a fucking stalker, Emmett."

"I was trying to apologize," he huffed as Edward came down the stairs. Emmett's eyes grew three sizes as his brother glared at him. "Ed-"

"Don't," said Edward. Emmett snapped his mouth shut as Edward looked over at me. "What kind of donuts did he bring?"

"I don't know," I said, shrugging my shoulders. Edward nodded and went over to the coffee table and picked up the bag.

"Oh, blueberry cake," muttered Edward, looking back at me. "You want one?"

"No," I shuddered.

"Me either," grimaced Edward. He shoved the bag into Emmett's hand. "Leave."

"Edward, I was trying to apologize," explained Emmett.

"Emmett, it's seven-thirty in the morning," snapped Edward. "What part of your head thought it would be a good idea to come over here this early?"

"I…didn't think about that," mumbled Emmett.

"Or, how about the fact that you violated my privacy by tracking me down just because you are a cop," I pointed out. "That might even be considered police harassment."

"What?" bellowed Emmett.

"SHHH!" I hissed. "There are children sleeping."

"Oh, sorry," muttered Emmett. "I'm not harassing you. I wanted to apologize for being an idiot yesterday."

"Momma," whispered Alex. I looked over at the stairs and saw Alex and Anthony still looking extremely tired. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, Sweetie, go back to bed," I said, softly.

"I'm hungry," he whined.

"Me too," mumbled Anthony. Sighing, I looked back at Edward before turning back to the boys.

"How about I make some muffins?" I asked.

"I've never had a muffin," said Anthony.

"They're like cupcakes," explained Alex. "But without the frosting."

"Ok," smiled Anthony.

"Why don't you boys watch cartoons while we talk in the kitchen?" I asked.

Anthony and Alex just nodded before they climbed onto the couch and turned on the TV. I motioned for Emmett and Edward to follow me into the kitchen, which they did. I quickly got a pan of muffins in the oven and started a pot of coffee. Once it was ready, I poured us each a cup and sat down, placing their cups in front of them.

"Cream, sugar?" I asked.

"No," muttered Emmett.

"No, thanks," smiled Edward. The timer went off and I pulled the muffins out of the oven, dumping them on a plate. I placed a few of them on a different plate and took them out to the boys.

"They are a little hot so let them cool down, ok?" I said, placing them on the table.

"Ok," they muttered. I headed back into the kitchen and sat down, grabbing myself a muffin.

"These are really good," commented Edward.

"Thank you," I said. "I'll give you the recipe. They are really easy. I'm sure you could make them."

"Ok," snorted Edward, while Emmett was sitting there looking very uncomfortable.

"Bella, I am so sorry about yesterday," said Emmett.

"So I gathered," I snorted, sipping my coffee. "I wasn't mad at you."

"You weren't?" he asked.

"No," I said. "You didn't know. Besides, the more I get to know you, the more I realize that you don't have all your brain cells."

"Burn," snickered Edward, before sipping his own coffee.

"I…" trailed off Emmett, shaking his head as he smiled. "You really aren't intimidated by me at all, are you?"

"No," I said. "Why do you need to intimidate me? Do you feel it makes you feel more like a man to scare women?"

"No," muttered Emmett. "I just don't want you to be mad at me."

"So you thought that showing up on her doorstep at the crack of dawn was the best way to approach the problem?" asked Edward. "Does Rose know you are here?"

"Um, no," mumbled Emmett.

"Oh, you are going to be in so much trouble," laughed Edward, pulling out his cell phone.

"Edward, no," begged Emmett.

"Shh," I shushed. "I want to hear this. Place it on speakerphone, please?"

"Sure thing," chuckled Edward, placing the call on speaker.

"Edward?" asked Rose. "Why in the hell are you calling me at eight in the morning?"

"I think the better question is why is Emmett sitting here at Bella's at eight in the morning," said Edward.

"He's what?" asked Rose. She sounded calm but the way that Emmett flinched made it clear that she was anything but.

"He's been here since seven," said Edward.

"Am I on speaker phone?" asked Rose.

"Yes."

"Are Anthony and Alex in the room?" asked Rose.

"No," said Edward.

"Bella, can you hear me?" asked Rose.

"Um, yes," I muttered.

"I am so, so, so very sorry that my idiot husband bothered you so early. Please rest assured that I will make sure he pays dearly for this," said Rose.

"Rosie-"

"Emmett, get your ass home now," snapped Rose.

"Yes, Rosie," muttered Emmett, standing up. "Sorry, Bella."

"Edward, are you and Anthony coming to brunch?" asked Rose as Emmett scurried out of the room.

"Yes," sighed Edward.

"Ok, bring Bella and Alex," ordered Rose. "I think Esme should get to spoil her after Emmett's foolishness."

"We couldn't intrude," I muttered.

"Nonsense, Bella," said Rose. "I'm calling her right now to let her know to expect you and Alex."

"Rose, wait," I snapped but she has already hung up.

"Yeah, that backfired on me," muttered Edward, slowly.

"Is everyone in your family pushy?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow at him.

"Yeah," sighed Edward. "You don't have to go. I'll deal with them."

"No, we'll go," I muttered, standing up. I tossed the last of the muffins in a bag and tossed them to Edward. "Here, you can have these."

"Thanks," said Edward, standing up. We headed into the living room to where the boys were sitting. "Anthony, it's time to go."

"Ok," said Anthony, climbing off the couch. He came over and hugged me "The muffins were good, Bella."

"Thank you," I smiled.

"Um, how about if I come pick you up in an hour?" asked Edward. "Their house is kind of hard to find."

"That's fine," I said. I walked Edward and Anthony to the door and looked back at Alex.

"Where are we going?" asked Alex.

"To Anthony's Nana and Papa," I said, scowling.

"Oh," muttered Alex.

"Yeah, oh," I sighed.

An hour and twenty or so minutes later, Edward pulled his car up into the driveway of the biggest house I had ever seen. It was simply huge and completely amazing. It reminded me of one of those old farm houses that have lasted a hundred years. Only this house looked in much better shape than most of those houses.

"Wow," muttered Alex, climbing out of the backseat of Edward's car. "This is a big house."

"It's beautiful," I smiled, looking over at Edward. "Did you grow up here?"

"Yeah," chuckled Edward. "It used to seem much bigger to me."

"I can only imagine," I murmured as the front door opened and Esme came out with a devastatingly handsome man with honey blond hair.

"Nana, Papa," laughed Anthony, running up onto the porch and hugging the Esme and the man.

"Good morning to you, too, Anthony," laughed Esme. She looked up and smiled at me and Alex. "Welcome to our home, Bella, Alex. This is my husband, Carlisle, or Papa. Darling, this is Bella and the infamous, Alex."

"It's nice to officially meet you both," said Carlisle, smiling at us. Alex was gripping my leg pretty tightly.

"Alex, can you say hi to Carlisle and Esme?" I asked.

"Hi," muttered Alex.

"Come on, Alex," urged Anthony. "Let's go play."

"Can I?" asked Alex, looking up at me.

"Sure, just be careful," I smiled. Alex nodded before he headed into the house with Anthony.

"Bella, I would like to apologize for Emmett," sighed Esme as Edward and I stepped up on the porch. "I don't know what had gotten into him."

"It's fine," I chuckled. "Good thing, I didn't grab my can of mace."

"He would have deserved it," snorted Esme, hooking her arm in with mine. "Now, come on in and make yourself at home."

"Ok," I murmured, letting her pull me into the house.

Jasper and Alice were sitting on the couch. Ivy was sitting on the floor in front of them, banging a couple of cups together. Emmett was sitting on the other sofa, pouting while Rose was glaring at him. Rose cleared her throat and gestured to me.

"Bella, I'm sorry I came over so early. I should have been more considerate of you and Alex. I won't do it again," muttered Emmett.

"No biggie, Emmett," I smiled. Emmett scowled and looked at the ground.

"Well, everyone have a seat," instructed Esme, leading me over to the others. She practically pushed me onto the couch next to Alice.

"Mom, quite manhandling Bella," laughed Edward, sitting next to Emmett.

"I wasn't," scoffed Esme. She looked over at me. "Was I?"

"Um…" I trailed off. "No?"

"Didn't think so," smiled Esme, sitting down next to me. I heard Carlisle laugh as he sat down next to Jasper, who was fighting the smile that threatened to breakout on his face. "Now, Bella, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a writer," I said.

"Oh, do you write novels?" asked Esme.

"More like supermarket romance books," I smiled.

"Porn?" asked Emmett.

"Emmett," hissed Rose, slapping him on the back of the head.

"Ouch, Rosie," whined Emmett. "I was just asking."

"No, there is no, um, sex in my books," I muttered, blushing bright red.

"Oh, bummer," said Emmett. Rose went to smack him again but Esme beat him to it. "Mom!"

"Emmett Cullen, I did not raise you to act like this in front of family or a guest," said Esme, using her mom voice.

"Yes, ma'am," muttered Emmett. I almost felt sorry for him but then I remembered the fact that he dragged me out of bed at seven in the morning.

"Now, Bella, I'm sure you are quite the writer," smiled Esme.

"Oh, I'm ok," I said, biting my lip. "It pays the bills, anyway."

"That's something," chuckled Carlisle, clearing his throat.

For the next several minutes, we sat in silence. It wasn't one of those comfortable silences either. No, it was one of those awkward, tense silences where you can feel the questions lingering in the air yet nobody wants to ask them.

"Well, I should go check on the food," mumbled Esme, standing up.

"I'll help," said Carlisle, jumping to his feet and following his wife out of the room.

"Wow, I seem to know how to clear a room," I chuckled, nervously.

"It wasn't you," said Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper.

"That's going to reassure her," snorted Edward.

"So, um, Bella…" trailed off Jasper. "Are you new to the city?"

"No," I said. "I've lived here for seven years."

"Oh," mumbled Jasper.

"Did you go to school here?" asked Alice.

"No, I didn't go to college," I explained.

"Oh," she said, softly as Ivy started fussing. "Oh, I bet she wants a bottle."

"I'll help," muttered Jasper, following his wife and daughter out of the room.

"Wow, I'm on a roll today," I murmured.

"No one is sure what to say to you, Bella," explained Rose, smiling at me. "After finding out about your husband…"

"I see," I whispered, looking over at Edward. "Alex and I should go if it's making people uncomfortable."

"No, that's not what I meant," said Rose, quickly putting her hands up. "I just meant…obviously, it's not….shit, I don't know what I meant."

"Mom, you said a bad word," said Elliott, coming into the room. He looked over at me and smiled. "You're pretty."

"Thank you," I laughed. "You're very handsome."

"I know," shrugged Elliott, walking into the kitchen. I laughed as I looked over at Edward.

"Yeah, little mini Emmett," snickered Edward.

"Huh," I snorted while laughing.

"Hey," grumbled Emmett.

"It's time to eat," yelled Esme.

Alex and Anthony came running in, laughing and smiling together. I helped both boys wash and dry their hands before fixing them a plate. They sat at the kitchen table with Elliot while the rest of us crowded around the dining room table. Esme had created a feast. There was a ton of fruit, egg casseroles, bacon or sausage croissants, pancakes, and so much more.

"This is delicious, Esme," I smiled, taking a bit of the egg casserole.

"Thank you," said Esme.

Everyone fell into another awkward silence while we ate. I could hear Anthony, Alex, and Elliott laughing in the kitchen. Ivy was sitting with Jasper while he fed her cereal. He was obviously a wonderful father and very active with her. He looked up and noticed me watching them. I turned back to my food and focused on eating.

"So, Bella, how's Alex liking school?" asked Carlisle, clearing his throat.

"Um, he seems to like it," I said, softly. "He was very scared about starting but I think that befriending Anthony has really helped him get over some of his shyness."

"He's a wonderful student," added Alice, smiling. "Very bright, too."

"Oh, that's good," I said.

Again we fell into an awkward silence. I finished my plate and leaned back in my seat, folding my hands in my lap. Growing up with just Charlie, we never had family dinners like this. Well, I guess we did but since it was just the two of us, we didn't see our nightly meals like this. Once everyone was done, having ate until their belly's were full and then some, I insisted on helping with the dishes, even though Esme told me I was a guest and I didn't need to.

"So, Bella," said Esme, handing me a plate that she had just washed. "The kids tell me that you are a widow."

"Not exactly," I muttered, drying the plate and stacking it with the others. I looked over at her. "I was never married, only engaged."

"Oh," murmured Esme. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," I whispered.

"You're a wonderful mother," blurted out Esme after a couple more awkward minutes.

"Thank you," I said, smiling. "Alex is a wonderful little boy. He makes it easy."

"I can tell," smiled Esme.

We fell into another silence as we finished washing the dishes. Every once in a while I would feel Esme looking at me. When I would look at her, she would turn quickly, but not before I caught her. Once the last dish had been put up, I followed her out to the living room where the others were sitting around.

"Edward, I need to get back home," I said. "I have some work to do this afternoon."

"Ok," said Edward, standing up. "I'll go get the boys."

"Well, Bella, thank you for coming for brunch," said Esme, hugging me. I was so surprised that I just stood there. "I hope you and Alex can join us again sometime."

"Um, sure," I mumbled. She pulled away and smiled. Edward came back in with Anthony and Alex.

"Alex, thank you for coming today," smiled Esme, knelling down in front of him.

"You're welcome." whispered Alex. "You have a big house."

"That I do, sweet boy," laughed Esme, standing up and looking over at Edward. "Are you and Anthony coming back?"

"No," he said. "I've got a few things to do around the house."

"Ok, well, dinner this week then," said Esme.

"Fine," muttered Edward.

Once Anthony had hugged his aunts, uncles, and Papa, I thanked them all for brunch again and followed Edward out to the car. We loaded the boys in and he headed back to my house. He pulled up in the driveway and I got Alex out of the back before looking back at him.

"I like your family, Edward," I laughed. "Even if they are pushy."

"Thanks," snorted Edward. "We'll see you and Alex in the morning at school."

"Yay," I mumbled, shutting the door.

Alex and I headed inside. He went straight to his room to play while I got laundry going. Once I had a full load in the washer, I headed up to my office to start on my next book. It had been a crazy, long day and it was just barely noon.

**Thank you for all the reviews! Keep them coming, please.**


	8. Chapter 8

EPOV

**I'm bored-E**

**Sorry? I don't know what you want me to do about it-B**

**Entertain me. Send me something from one of your books-E**

**Not going to happen. Try googling porn-B**

I snorted as I drank the last of my coffee. Here I was at ten-thirty on Wednesday morning, bored out of my mind. I should be working but I wasn't. Instead I had decided to chat with Bella over Facebook chat while I played Frontierville, cursed game.

**Come tend to my homestead-B**

**Can't. Already did my quota for the day-E**

**Damn it to hell fire-B**

**Whoa, potty mouth!-E**

**My hand is moving toward the TV. It's telling me to put the Disney Channel on. Someone help!-B**

**Wow, dramatic *snort*-E**

**Too much?-B**

**A little-E**

**Ok, meet me at the store in ten-B**

**Why?-E**

**I'm going to teach you how to cook. Don't whine just accept it already-B**

**Fine, but if my house burns down, Anthony and I are moving in with you. I couldn't handle living with the parents.-E**

**Deal-B**

I logged off Facebook and headed downstairs to the kitchen. I rinsed out my coffee cup and placed it in the sink. I grabbed my keys and headed out to my car. It took me almost fifteen minutes to drive to the store. I parked next to Bella's SUV and ran inside. She was tapping her foot, quite dramatically, next to the shopping basket. I rolled my eyes as she pretended to scowl.

"It's not my fault. Traffic was horrible," I explained.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," snorted Bella.

"Ok, so what are you going to force me to cook?" I asked, taking over the basket.

"I have this recipe for a chicken casserole that I don't think you can mess up. I mean, really all you do is dump everything inside a casserole dish and bake it," explained Bella.

"I should be offended that you are basically saying that I am an idiot but I'm not," I laughed. "Ok, what do we need first?"

"Well, since it's a chicken casserole," snorted Bella, "how about some chicken?"

"Nobody likes a smartass, Swan," I muttered.

"Oh, everyone likes me," laughed Bella, following me to the back where all the meat was. "Just look at how well brunch went on Sunday."

"I am trying to block that day out," I chuckled. "My family is not normally so…"

"Awkward?" suggested Bella.

"Exactly," I chuckled. "How much chicken do I need?"

"Not much," said Bella, looking over the chicken breasts. She picked up a package that had four small ones. "This should be more than enough."

"Ok, what's next?" I asked.

"Soup," sang Bella, pulling on the basket.

I laughed as I followed Bella over to the soups. She started throwing cans of cream of mushroom and chicken and rice into my basket. From there I just stopped asking and let her get everything from celery to onions, to French fried onions, and evaporative milk. I had never even heard of evaporated milk before but I wasn't going to question the woman. Once we had a box of stove top stuffing mix, we headed over and checked out.

"Ok, so I'll meet you at your house," said Bella as I placed the last of my groceries into my trunk. "Why don't I stop and grab us a burger? I'm starving."

"Sounds good," I said, pulling out my wallet. I pulled a twenty out. "Here."

"No," said Bella. "I'm buying lunch."

"No, I am because you are teaching me how to make dinner," I explained.

"Don't really care," chuckled Bella, walking around my car to hers. "Deal with it."

With that Bella climbed into her car and shut the door. I rolled my eyes and climbed into my own car. I headed back to my house and unloaded my groceries. Bella came in a few minutes later, carrying a McDonalds bag.

"Oh, put the chicken in a pan of salt water. It can be cooking while we eat," said Bella, pulling out the Big Macs and fries she had gotten us.

I went over and pulled out a large pan. I placed the chicken inside and filled it with water and sprinkled some salt in it. Once I had it on the burner, I grabbed us each a bottle of water and sat down across from her.

"Can I ask you something?" asked Bella.

"Apparently, since you just did so," I smirked.

"And you call me the smartass," said Bella, rolling her eyes.

"You can ask me anything," I chuckled.

"How'd you meet Sarah?" whispered Bella. I took a deep breath. "You don't have to answer if…"

"Sarah and I met in college," I said, softly. "I was a sophomore and she was a freshman. She literally ran into me one day, with her car. I was crossing the road, late for class and not paying attention, when suddenly, I found myself on my ass in the middle of the street. Sarah jumped out of her car and rushed over to me. She was beautiful. Anthony looks just like her," I mused. I cleared my throat as I looked back over at Bella, who was smiling softly.

"What happened next?" asked Bella.

"Um, well, I was taken to the hospital, even thought I was fine. Sarah insisted on riding in the ambulance with me. She held my hand the entire was, which I really didn't mind at all," I laughed. "She stayed with me while they checked me over, ran all their tests. When my parents got there, she apologized at least ten times. She left and I didn't think I would ever see her again. Anyway, a few days later, I went back to school. I was sitting in the library, trying to get caught up on the work I missed, when the chair across from me got pulled out. I looked up and there was Sarah. We started talking and before I knew it, we had spent three hours just talking about everything. She took me to dinner that night, saying that she owed me after nearly killing me with her car. She was kind of stubborn. The next night I took her out and the rest is history," I explained, smiling, softly.

"How long were you together?" asked Bella, standing up. She went over to the stove and pulled the chicken off. "Once the chicken is cooked, you need to let it cool."

"We dated for a year before I proposed, we were married six months later. Three years after that, she died," I said, softly. "Not nearly long enough."

"I know what you mean," murmured Bella, sitting back down. "I regret not marrying Brody right after he first asked. I had just gotten my first book published and I wanted to be able to focus on it. He said he understood but I know it bothered him."

"Does Alex ask about him?" I asked.

"Not really," shrugged Bella. "I've told him about his dad but I don't think he gets it. How about Anthony?"

"Not much," I answered, honestly. "Every once in a while he'll ask to look at her pictures but he never really knew her. He wasn't even a year old she died and before that, she was so weak that she could barely hold him for more than a couple minutes at a time."

"Well, I, um, bet the chicken is cooled enough to started cutting," murmured Bella, standing up. I moved over and stood next to her. "Ok, so you want to dice the chicken into small pieces."

"Ok, what do you mean dice?" I asked, looking at her. Bella just stared at me like I was an idiot. "What?"

"You don't know what dice means?" asked Bella.

"I don't cook, remember?" I snorted. "At all."

"Wow," muttered Bella, shaking her head. "Ok, you want to cut the chicken up into small pieces? Better?"

"Smartass," I sang.

"Aw, thank you," she laughed, patting me on the arm as the door bell rang. "Go get the door while I cut the chicken."

"Yes, ma'am," I chuckled. I headed out to the living room and pulled open the front door. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

"I came to visit," smiled Esme, pushing past me. "Who's car is that in the driveway?"

"Bella's," I muttered. Esme's smile somehow grew as she looked around for any sign of her. "Mom-"

"Edward, everything ok?" asked Bella, coming out of the kitchen. She stopped short as soon as she saw my mother, who was almost giddy. "Oh, hello, Esme."

"Bella, lovely to see you again," giggled Esme. "How's everything going?"

"Um, fine," said Bella.

"Bella was teaching me a new recipe for a chicken casserole," I explained before Esme could say anything else. But all that did was cause her to smile even more.

"Well, don't let me get in the way," squeaked Esme, inching closer to the door. She looked over at me. "I'll call you later."

"I'm sure you will," I muttered. Esme looked back at Bella once more before she left. I rolled my eyes as I followed Bella back into the kitchen.

"Well, that was weird," said Bella. She looked over at me. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," I said. "What's next?"

Bella spent the next twenty minutes or so instructing me on how to put the casserole together. It really was quite simple. Literally, just dumping everything together and mixing it together. Once we had it together, I covered it and stuck it in the fridge until it was time to put it in the oven later. She wrote down how high to set the oven how long to cook it before we plopped down on the couch and watched TV.

"Well, I guess we should go get the boys," I said, standing up.

"Yeah, they might think we don't love them if we leave them there," chuckled Bella. I laughed with her as we headed out to our cars.

"Hey, can you and Alex come over for dinner?" I asked.

"I really need to work tonight," sighed Bella. "I'm already behind."

"Oh, ok," I said.

"Maybe next time," suggested Bella.

"No problem," I smiled.

I followed Bella down to the school to pick up the boys. We headed in just before the final bell rang. Alice opened her door and let the kids out. Anthony and I walked Alex and Bella to their car before we climbed in and headed back to the house. He ran up to his room while I pulled the casserole out of the fridge and set it inside, setting the timer so I wouldn't forget about it.

I had just sat down at my desk when the phone rang. I didn't even have to look at the ID to know that it was my mother.

"Hello, Mom," I sighed.

"Edward," laughed Esme. "I was making sure that you and Anthony were still coming to dinner tomorrow night."

"Don't we always," I said.

"Yes, but I thought maybe you might have plans with…someone else," giggled Esme. I rolled my eyes.

"Nope, no plans with anyone," I said, shortly.

"Oh," sighed Esme. "You know-"

"Mom," I warned.

"Edward, don't interrupt me," she scolded. "That's rude."

"Sorry, Mom," I sighed.

"As I was saying," said Esme. "I was thinking that it's been a long time since Anthony stayed the night with me and Dad. Maybe he should come this weekend. He could even bring a friend, if he would like."

"And which friend would that be, Mother?" I asked.

"Oh, I don't know…Maybe Alex," muttered Esme.

"Very subtle, Mom," I snorted.

"Edward, Bella is a lovely woman," pleaded Esme. "She would be good for you and Anthony. Besides, she needs you too."

"Mom, I am not having this discussion with you," I said, shortly. "Bella and I are friends. Our sons are friends. That's all."

"But-"

"Mom," I said, again.

"Fine, fine," sighed Esme. "Just don't be surprised when you finally see what's right in front of you."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Gotta go, Darling. Love you," said Esme, before she hung up on me.

"She hung up on me," I laughed.

"Dad, who are you talking to?" asked Anthony, coming into my office.

"Myself," I snorted.

"Oh, ok," said Anthony. "I'm hungry."

"Dinner will be ready soon," I chuckled, pulling the boy over into my lap. "How was school?"

"Boring," whined Anthony. "Alex and I played with Elliott on the playground at lunch though. He stopped some bigger boys from picking on Alex."

"That was really nice of Elliott," I said.

"Anna told them all to back off her man," continued Anthony. "Alex and I didn't know what she meant though."

"Oh, well, I think she was saying that she likes Alex," I explained.

"Oh," said Anthony. He scrunched up his face like he was thinking really hard. "Dad?"

"What?" I asked.

"Well, if Anna likes Alex, does that make him her boyfriend?" asked Anthony.

"No," I laughed.

"Good, cause girls are gross," said Anthony.

"Are all girls gross?" I asked.

"No," shrugged Anthony. "Bella's not. She's pretty, don't you think?"

"Yes, I think Bella is very pretty," I said as the timer went off. "Look, dinners ready."

"Yay!" cheered Anthony.

He went to wash his hands while I pulled the casserole out of the oven. It smelled really good and I didn't burn it. Anthony took his usual seat at the table as I placed our plates. I had added some carrots and strawberries. He eyed the casserole as he took a small bite.

"Well?" I asked.

"It's good," he smiled. "How come you didn't burn it?"

"Because Bella taught me how to make it," I explained. "I'm glad you like it."

"Of course I like it if Bella makes it," snorted Anthony. "I like everything she makes."

"Me too," I smiled.

Anthony ended up eating two big helpings of the chicken casserole and all his strawberries, leaving his carrots on his plate. After we got the kitchen cleaned up, I got him into the bath and tucked into bed. I headed into my office and logged onto Facebook. I saw that Bella was online.

**The casserole was a hit-E**

**Thank god. My rep is safe-B**

**What are you doing?-E**

**Um…writing?-B**

**Liar-E**

**Ok, I'm playing Frontierville. I hang my head in shame-B**

**Shame, shame on you for not working-E**

**Whatever. Work is over rated-B**

I laughed loudly as I shook my head. Bella and I continued to chat for awhile until she headed off to bed. With nothing else to do, I shut off my computer and headed into my own room. After I brushed my teeth and changed into my pajamas, I crawled into bed and drifted off to sleep.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave me a review and let me know.**


	9. Chapter 9

BPOV

"_Do you remember our trip to California?" asked Brody, laying down next to me._

_I smiled as I leaned over and laid my head on his chest. Brody wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight against his chest. I missed the feeling of him holding me, loving me. He smelled evergreens and leather mixed together. _

"_How could I forget," I smiled. "Alex was conceived there."_

"_On the beach," whispered Brody, pressing his lips to the top of my head._

"_I miss you," I murmured, snuggling into him even more._

"_I miss you, too," said Brody. "Angel, you know that it's ok to move on, don't you?"_

"_What do you mean?" I asked, looking up at him. He smiled as he looked down at me. His blue eyes sparkled brightly. _

"_I mean that I won't be mad if you find someone else to love," he said, bringing his hand up and stroking my cheek. _

"_But I love you," I cried._

"_I love you, too," he said, "but you can't keep hiding just because you are scared. He'll take good care of you and Alex."_

"_Who?" I asked. _

"_You know who, Angel," murmured Brody. "I have to go now."_

"_No, stay," I begged, clutching onto him. "Please, just stay."_

"_I can't," he whispered, pulling out of my arms. "I'll be seeing you."_

"_Brody," I cried, reaching for him. _

"Mom! Mom, wake up!" yelled Alex. I snapped my eyes open and took a deep breath. Alex was standing next to my bed.

"I'm up," I said, quickly.

"You were talking in your sleep again," said Alex.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," I whispered.

"I was already awake," shrugged Alex. "You just sounded like you were crying. I was scared you were having a nightmare."

"I'm fine, Sweetie," I sighed, sitting up. "Go get ready for school."

Alex groaned as he shuffled out of my bedroom. I sat there on my bed for a couple more minutes, trying to catch my breath. Once I had caught my breath, I climbed out of my bed and pushed the dream out of my mind. It made no sense to me, anyway. There wasn't one around me who could love me the way Brody did.

I quickly showered and got dressed, deciding to wear my favorite jeans and Poison t-shirt. I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen. Alex was already sitting at the table with his coloring book and crayons. He was wearing a pair of jeans, a Scooby Doo t-shirt, and his sketchers.

"What do you want for breakfast?" I asked, looking in the fridge.

"Um," he said, thinking about it. "Can I have cereal?"

"Cereal?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow at him. Alex simply nodded his head and went back to his coloring book. "Ok."

I grabbed a bowl and the box of Lucky Charms out of the cabinet. I set the bowl in front of him, poured out the cereal, and covered it with milk. Alex picked up his spoon and took a big bite, letting some milk spill down his chin.

"Good?" I asked.

"Really good," he muttered, mouth still full of food.

"Gross," I laughed, putting the milk up. "Don't talk with your mouth full."

"Sorry," laughed Alex, swallowing the cereal in his mouth.

Once Alex had had his fill of the sugary cereal, he went to brush his teeth and we headed off to school. I parked next to Edward's car and we climbed out at the same time he and Anthony did. The boys took off around the corner, completely ignoring us.

"Think they are in a hurry?" chuckled Edward as we followed them.

"Apparently," I snorted.

"You ok?" he asked. "You look tired."

"I didn't sleep very good last night," I muttered.

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

"No," I sighed.

As we caught up with the boys, I could hear them whispering to each other. I shared a look with Edward. Yeah, this wasn't going to end well. I was fixing to ask them what they were talking about when Alice opened her door. As usual she had a huge smile on her face. She was wearing a white peasant skirt and red fitted t-shirt.

"Morning, children," she sang as they filed in past her. She looked up at Edward. "Jasper told me to tell you that he won't be at practice tonight. He has a meeting about a job on the other side of town."

"No problem," said Edward. "I think Ben and Garrett were going to be there anyway since Emmett is working."

"Ok, I'll let him know," giggled Alice, before she shut her classroom door.

Edward and I turned and headed back out to the parking lot. We were almost to the car when my foot got caught on the ground and I started to fall. However, Edward reached out and gripped my waist in his hands, pulling me into his body.

"Whoa, you ok?" he asked, chuckling softly.

"Yeah, ground tried to trip me," I snorted, looking back at him. I never noticed before just how beautiful his eyes were. I took a deep breath as I stepped away from him. "Um, thanks for catching me."

"No problem," said Edward, looking away. "I guess I'll see you later, then."

"Ok," I murmured.

I climbed into my car and headed back home. I pulled my car up into the driveway and headed straight upstairs to my office. I had intended to work on my book. I had already fallen behind but I couldn't seem to find the words. So instead of writing the next chapter, I found myself staring at the blank screen.

I'm not sure how long I had been staring at the screen when the phone rang, breaking me out of my mindless staring. I groaned when I saw that it was Tanya Denali, my editor. She wasn't going to be happy about my work or lack thereof.

"Hello," I sighed.

"Isabella," she said, firmly.

"Tanya," I said, equally as firm. "I'm trying."

"Not very hard," she snorted. "What's stopping you?"

"Don't know," I said, shrugging my shoulders. Then I remembered that she couldn't actually see me. "Guess I'm just not feeling it."

"Well, maybe it's time you gave something else a try," she hinted. "Like a real novel instead of that garbage."

"I'm not that good of a writer," I scoffed.

"Yes, you are," sighed Tanya. I could almost see her rolling her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you that you are better than that?"

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not?" I countered.

"One day, Isabella Swan, you will write the greatest book ever written and I will be able to say I told you so," laughed Tanya.

"Whatever you say," I muttered. "I'll try to get something to you soon, ok?"

"No rush," she said. "I was just worried because you've usually sent me at least the first smutless filled chapter by now."

"Thanks," I chuckled. "I'd better get back to staring at the blank screen now."

"Ok, have fun," she sang.

I rolled my eyes as I hung up my phone. Sighing, I once again turned my attention to the blank screen that sat in front of me. The black curser was mocking me, taunting me to make it move. By lunch time, I had given up on writing for the day and had decided to spend the rest of the day laying on the couch, watching TV. When the clock stuck three, I was pacing back and forth. I ran over to the door and threw it open. I skidded to a stop when I found my father standing in the doorway, hand raised like he was getting ready to knock.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked, shortly.

"Wow, Bella, it's nice to see you, too," laughed Charlie. "I came to visit."

"Visit?" I asked, pulling the door shut. "Well, Dad, that's great but I have to go get the boy from school."

"I'll go with you," smiled Charlie.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I led my father to my car. He climbed into the passenger seat without saying anything, even if he did have that fucking smile planted on his face. Pulling on my seatbelt, I pulled the car out of the driveway and headed off toward Alex's school.

"So," said Charlie. "How's your week been? Haven't talked to you since last Saturday."

"Great," I said, not looking over at him.

"Good, good," muttered Charlie. "Alex still liking school?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "He seems to love it."

"That's great," chuckled Charlie. "So…who's Edward?"

"Dad," I whined, pulling my car up next to Edward's car.

"What?" he asked, innocently as I cut the engine. "I'm just curious about who the man answering your phone on Saturday night was."

"I told you," I said, looking over at him. "He's Anthony's father. I kept Anthony for him while he worked and I invited him and Anthony to stay for dinner. It was nothing more than a couple of friends, enjoying some pancakes."

"And what does Edward's wife think about him eating dinner with you and Alex?" asked Charlie, smirking. I sighed and looked out the window.

"He's a widower," I muttered.

"Oh," whispered Charlie.

"Yeah," I said, looking back at my father. His smirk wasn't on his face anymore. "He understands."

"I'm sure he does," muttered Charlie.

"Well, we should go get Alex," I whispered.

Charlie just nodded as he climbed out of the car. We headed over to the gates and into the school yard. Edward and Angela were leaning against the side of school, talking as we came up on them. Edward looked over and smiled at me before he looked over at my father.

"Dad, this is Edward Cullen and Angela Cheney," I said, gesturing to them. "This is my dad, Charlie."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Swan," said Edward, offering his hand.

"You too," said Charlie, shaking his hand. "Call me Charlie, Edward."

"Mr. Swan, it's nice to meet you," smiled Angela, looking from him to me. It was like she just put together the fact that we have the same last name.

"It's Charlie," chuckled my father. "Mr. Swan makes me feel old. Don't say it, Bella."

"I wasn't going to say anything," I snorted as Alice opened her door.

"GRANDPA!" yelled Alex, leaping into Charlie's arms.

"Hey, squirt," laughed Charlie. "How was school?"

"It was boring," scowled Alex.

"Hey, my class is never boring," complained Alice. Charlie chuckled as he looked over at her. "You must be the infamous grandpa Alex has been telling us all about."

"Uh oh," snorted Charlie. "Am I already in trouble?"

"Oh, it was mostly good things," laughed Alice. "I'm Alice Whitlock. It's nice to officially meet you, Mr. Swan."

"Again with the mister," sighed Charlie, putting Alex back on the ground. "It's Charlie, Mrs. Whitlock."

"Oh, well, it's Alice," smirked Alice.

"Ok, Alice," laughed Charlie.

"Grandpa, this is Anthony," said Alex, dragging Charlie over to where Anthony was standing next to Edward. "He's my friend. This is his dad, Edward. He coaches my soccer team. Can you stay and watch me practice?"

"It's nice to meet you, Anthony," said Charlie, squatting down in front of the boy. I heard Charlie's knees pop as he held out his hand. "I have heard so much about you."

"Me too," smiled Anthony, shaking his hand. "Since my Nana and Papa said that Alex could call them Nana and Papa, can I call you Grandpa?"

"Um, sure, as long as it's ok with your dad," said Charlie. He, Alex, Anthony, and Alice looked up at Edward, who then looked at me. I shrugged my shoulder.

"Sure," muttered Edward.

"Yay," cheered the boys.

"Grandpa, let's go play," yelled Alex. He and Anthony each grabbed one of Charlie's hands and dragged him out onto the playground.

"Oh, yeah, he's going to be feeling that tomorrow," laughed Alice, going back into her classroom.

"Are you sure you are ok with Anthony calling Charlie grandpa?" I asked.

"Yeah, why not," shrugged Edward, looking over at me. "So, I didn't see you on Facebook all day. Did you actually start writing?"

"No," I grumbled. "I still can't seem to get anything down. When my editor called, she basically told me that it was a sign that I shouldn't be writing that crap and I should be writing, as she calls it, the next great novel."

"Maybe she's right," said Edward, looking over at the boys and Charlie. They had somehow talked him into climbing up on the slide with them. I swear, he was a bigger kind than they were. "Of course, if you would tell me what your penname was, I could read your books and tell you with the utmost certainty that you are an amazing writer."

"Yeah, not going to happen, Cullen," I snorted. He'd been bugging me all week about it. "Why do you want to read trashy romance novels anyway?"

"Cause I'm so freaking bored," grumbled Edward, looking over at me. "Please, Bella?"

"Please Bella, what?" asked Charlie, coming back over to us with the boys.

"Nothing," I said, glaring at Edward.

"She won't tell me her penname," smiled Edward, ignoring my glare. I tuned and glared at Charlie.

"It's Mallory Marie," said Charlie, ignoring me.

"Thanks a lot, Charlie," laughed Edward.

"You're welcome, Edward," smirked Charlie. "The boys have informed me that they are hungry."

"Ok, well, I guess that's our cue to leave," I chuckled, looking over at Edward. "We will see you at practice."

"Ok, see you," smiled Edward. "It was nice to meet you, Charlie."

"You too, Edward," said Charlie. He looked down at Anthony. "See you later, squirt."

"Later, Grandpa," laughed Anthony.

Charlie and Alex followed me back out to my car. As I drove us back home, I listened to Charlie and Alex talking about all the stuff that he and Anthony do together. I knew Charlie was enjoying listening to Alex. He had pushed me to put Alex in a pre-school last year but I wasn't ready for him to be gone. Besides, my little boy was smart. He didn't need pre-school. I pulled the car up into the driveway and the three of us climbed out.

"Alex, I've gotta get going," said Charlie, squatting down in front of Alex. "I'll call you tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok, Grandpa," said Alex, hugging Charlie. "Love you."

"Love you, too," chuckled Charlie. Alex ran into the house while I walked Charlie over to his cruiser. "Let me know when his games start so I can come see him play."

"I will, Dad," I said, hugging my father.

"And, um, Edward seems real nice," said Charlie, opening his car door and looking back at me. "Seems like he's a good…friend."

"He is," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Go home, old man."

"I'm not old," he said. However, he groaned as he climbed into his car. "Ok, so maybe I'm a little old."

I just laughed and headed into the house. I fixed Alex a quick snack before he got ready for soccer practice. He was so excited for practice that he was nearly shaking. I tied his cleats tight before we gathered our water, his soccer ball, and headed back out to the car. He climbed into his booster seat and buckled his seatbelt himself. I smiled as I made sure that his seatbelt was tight. He was growing up so fast.

Ten minutes later, I pulled the car up behind Edward's car at the park. I got Alex out of his seat and he took off running out to where Edward and Anthony were. I watched as Edward gave Alex a knuckle bump.

"Hey, Bella," said Angela as she, Anna, and a dark haired man came up to me. "This is my husband, Ben. Honey, this is Bella Swan, Alex's mom."

"Nice to meet you, Bella," smiled Ben. "I've heard all about Alex."

"It's nice to meet you, too," I said, returning his smile.

"Babe, Anna and I are going to head out onto the field. You have our water?" asked Ben.

"They are in Anna's bag," said Angela.

"Ok," smiled Ben.

He and Anna took off toward the field. Angela and I headed over and found a place to sit. She was smart enough to bring a blanket to sit on. I was going to have to remember to put one in the car. After a few minutes, most of the team was out on the field. Kate and Rose had joined us while Kate's husband, Garrett, when out to help Edward and Ben.

"Ok, ladies," smiled Kate, looking around at all of us. "It's about time for a girls night out."

"Yeah, it is," laughed Rose. "Been way too long since we just went out and had fun. I'm sure Alice is ready for one since we haven't had one since Ivy was born."

"Ok, so how about tomorrow?" asked Angela. "Ben's off."

"So is Garrett," shrugged Kate.

"Emmett's not but I'm sure Esme would keep Elliott," said Rose, looking over at me. "How about it, Bella?"

"Um, I can't," I muttered, looking out at the boys,

"Oh, come on, Bella," pleaded Angela, grabbing my arm. "You have to. It would be so much fun."

"I can't," I whispered.

"Bella, I'm sure Edward or Esme would watch Alex," said Rose. I took a deep breath and looked over at her. "Come on. It would do you some good to have a night out with the girls."

"I don't know," I muttered, looking back at the boys.

Neither of them said anything else about the matter. I focused on watching Alex. He was trying so hard to do as Edward, Ben, and Garrett, a tall man with sandy blond hair, were telling him. As I watched him smiled when he kicked the ball between two other players like Edward had told him to, I realized just how much he had missed not having a father.

After about an hour and half, Edward gathered all the boys and girls into a circle around him. He knelt down so that he was at eye level with them as he spoke. He smiled and placed his hand in the middle. All the kids threw their hands in the middle and they cheered as they threw their hands up. I stood up as Alex came running over to me.

"You did so good, Alex," I smiled, hugging him.

"Thanks," laughed Alex. "What are we having for dinner?"

"Um, how about if we go to McDonalds?" I asked, smiling.

"YES, YES, YES!" he cheered.

"Mind if we join you?" asked Edward, gesturing to him and Anthony.

"Nope, but I'm buying," I smirked. Edward scowled as I laughed. "You're too slow, buddy."

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Edward. "Let's go."

Once Edward had loaded all the equipment into the trunk of his car and we got the boys loaded in, I followed him down to the nearest McDonalds. The boys took off for the playground while Edward and I placed our order. I filled our cups with soda while he grabbed our tray of food. We headed into the playground. Alex and Anthony managed to eat about half of their food before they were off playing again.

"You're being extra quiet," said Edward, munching on a fry. "What are you thinking about?"

"Do you ever find yourself jealous of what other people have?" I asked.

"Sure, who doesn't," shrugged Edward. "What are you jealous about?"

"Well, Rose, Kate, and Angela were planning a girls night out for tomorrow. I couldn't help but be jealous that they could go," I explained. "I mean for them it's just a matter of making sure their husbands are off."

"Did they invite you to go?" asked Edward.

"Yeah, but I think they were just inviting me because I was sitting there," I said.

"You should go," encouraged Edward. I just looked at him. "What?"

"More like who," I said. "What about Alex?"

"He could stay the night with me and Anthony," shrugged Edward.

"I don't know if he's ready for that," I said, warily.

"Bella, he would be fine," insisted Edward. "I mean, I understand if you don't trust me enough to let him stay-"

"Edward, that's not it. I do trust you with him," I said, quickly. "He's never stayed the night with anyone. Ever. Not even my father."

"Oh," sighed Edward, understanding. "Maybe it's time to let him. Look, Anthony would love it and Alex would too."

"I don't know," I mumbled.

"Bella, take some time for you," said Edward. "It's ok to think about you for a change."

"Give me your cell phone," I muttered, holding my hand out.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I'm going to call Rose and tell her I'm in," I huffed.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I love reading them all so keep them coming. If you get the chance, and I know you will, go check out a new story called 'A Road To A Happy Ending' by Ms. Misty Cullen. It's new, only four chapters in but it's good and she's working very hard on it. It can be found under my favs. Also, if you haven't yet, check out 'Coming Home' by my girl GAjujubee, which is really amazing, and 'Hearts Collide' by timidvampire. **


	10. Chapter 10

"Mom, come on," whined Alex. "You are taking forever."

"I'm hurrying, Alex," I said, shortly.

"Hurry faster," he grumbled.

A moment later, I heard him stomp down the stairs. I rolled my eyes as I looked back at the mirror. Easy for him to say. He wasn't trying to pretty himself up for the first night out you've had in way too long. I didn't even want to think about how long it's been since I tried to fix my hair or attempt to put make-up on. What was the point of it when all I did was hang around my house?

I finally gave up on my hair and just opted to pull it up into a messy bun on the back of my head. I wasn't trying to impress anyone anyway. This was just a night out with a few girls, having a couple drinks. That was all. I finished my make-up and headed back out to my bedroom. I had spent all afternoon trying to decide what to wear.

When I called Rose last night and told her I was coming, she informed me that my usual jeans and t-shirt combo was a no go. She said this was a rare opportunity for us moms to let loose and embrace our womanly wiles. Whatever the hell that means. All I knew was that she informed me that I was to dress sexy and to wear heels.

So in the end, I decided to wear a simple sage green dress that I hadn't worn since before Alex was born. I was honestly kind of surprised that I could still fit it. I slipped my feet into a pair of silver heels and headed downstairs. Alex was standing next to the door with his bag sitting at his feet. He was very excited about his first sleepover.

"Wow, Mom," smiled Alex. "You look pretty."

"Thank you, Sweetie," I said, returning his smile. I grabbed my purse and keys and turned back to him. "Are you ready?"

"YES!" he cheered.

I laughed as we headed out to the car. Once he was in his seat, I climbed into the driver's seat and we headed off to Edward's. Alex had been going on and on all day about all the things he and Anthony were going to do tonight. Edward was in for a long night with these two, I'm afraid. I pulled the car up in front of Edward's house and got Alex out of the car. He took off running up to the front porch and rang the doorbell. A moment later, Anthony and Edward opened the door.

"Wow, Bella," gasped Anthony. "You look really pretty."

"Thank you," I smiled. I looked up at Edward, who was staring at me. "Is something wrong?"

"Um, no," muttered Edward, looking away. "You look…great."

"Thanks," I said, following him and the boys into the house. "It's been a while since I attempted to fix myself up."

"Well, you, um, did a good job," stammered Edward.

"Thanks," I said, blushing. "Um, you have my cell number in case you need me and he's allergic to nuts so-"

"Bella," said Edward, interrupting me. I sighed as I looked up at him. "He will be fine. I have everything under control. Go and have some fun."

"Ok," I whispered, taking a deep breath. I looked down at Alex. "Be good for Edward or else."

"I will, Mom," sighed Alex, pushing me toward the door. "Go."

"Ok, ok," I laughed. "I'll see you in the morning."

I headed out to my car and climbed back in. Taking another deep breath, I headed over to Rose and Emmett's. She insisted that we all meet at her house before we head to wherever we were going. It didn't take me long to find her house. I parked in the front and climbed out. She and Emmett lived in a red brick ranch style house. It was charming. I headed up the front door and went to knock but the door was pulled open before I could.

"BELLA!" squealed Alice, jumping up and down. That was quite impressive seeing as she was wearing four inch heels. "You made it!"

"Yeah," I muttered, biting my lip.

"Come on in," she said, ushering me inside. Kate and Angela were sitting on the couches. "We are just waiting for Rose to get back from dropping Elliott off at my parents."

"Ok," I said, taking a seat next to her.

Alice was wearing a black leather mini skirt that barely hit her mid thighs and a red tank top that hugged her tiny body. Her long dark hair had been left down and was laying flat against her back. Her eyes had been done up so that they were dark and smoky. She looked nothing like the woman she did when she was around all the kids.

Kate was wearing a dark blue strapless wrap dress that flared at her waist and a hit just above her knees. She was wearing a pair of black peeped toed heels. Her silky blond hair had been pulled up into an elegant ponytail. Her make-up was light and natural looking. She was incredibly beautiful.

Angela was wearing a pair of black leather pants and a white t-shirt that clung to her. She had on a pair of black heeled boots. Her hair had been pulled back on the sides and her make-up was dark and sexy.

"Bella, you look fantastic," gushed Alice.

"Thanks," I muttered, biting my lip. "You all look great, too."

"Thanks," snorted Kate. "It's nice to feel like a woman instead of a mom all the time."

"Or a wife… I mean…shit," muttered Angela, looking at me as she spoke. "I didn't mean…"

"Don't worry about it," I said, crossing my legs.

No one else said anything for several minutes. I knew they weren't sure what to say to me and, honestly, I wasn't sure what to say to them. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the front door opened and Rose came scurrying in. She looked incredibly beautiful in her red and white dress and matching red heels. Her long hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail and her make-up was light except for the red lipstick that coated her lips, making them stick out.

"Yay, everyone's here!" she cheered. "Are we ready for girls night out?"

"Yeah," smiled Alice, standing up. Rose, Angela, and I stood up. "Bella, can I ride with you?"

"Um, ok," I said, softly.

Alice followed me out to my car while Angela and Kate climbed in with Rose. Once we were all in, I pulled up behind them and followed them as we headed off for girls night.

"Bella, can I offer you some advice?" asked Alice, a moment later.

"Sure," I said.

"Don't be afraid," she said, simply. I looked over at her.

"Afraid of what?" I asked.

"Afraid of anything," said Alice, smiling. "Afraid to live, to laugh, to be happy. I can't imagine how hard it's been for you to be a single mom. I can tell you that you have done a fantastic job with Alex, much better than a lot of two parent families have."

"Thanks," I said, looking back at the road.

"I'm glad that you and Edward have become friends," whispered Alice. I looked back over at her but she was looking out the window. "I've been worried about my brother. He needs a good friend."

"I do, too," I murmured. Alice smiled as she looked over at me.

"I know," said Alice.

Alice didn't say anything else as we pulled into the parking lot of a small jazz bar downtown. I followed Alice, Rose, Kate, and Angela inside. It was a charming little place with tons of pictures and posters of some of the biggest jazz musicians. Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald to name a few. I followed the girls to a table to the corner.

"Hello, Ladies," smiled our waitress, setting some coasters down. "What are we drinking tonight?"

"I will take a Cosmo," smiled Angela.

"Um, a Tequila Sunrise for me," laughed Rose.

"Martini," ordered Kate, smiling at the red headed waitress.

"Oh, I'll have an Apple Martini," squealed Alice. They all looked over at me.

"Water," I said, softly.

"Alrighty, I have those right out. My name is Mary. Let me know if you need anything," said Mary before she walked away.

Mary came back a few minutes later with our drinks. The girls sipped on their cocktails while I sipped on my water. There was a young man playing the piano on the stage. He was playing a slow song. I found myself swaying gently with the music.

"Isn't it nice to get away from the kids for one night," sighed Rose, leaning back in her seat. "I keep expecting to hear Elliott yelling for me to come look at what he is doing."

"Yeah, it is," smiled Kate. "Especially now with Garrett back. The past year has been…insane to say the least."

"How's Garrett adjusting to being home?" asked Angela.

"He's doing ok," shrugged Kate. "Hard going from being in Iraq to being back in Seattle but he's trying really hard."

"He was deployed for a year?" I asked.

"Oh, I forget that you didn't know, Bella," smiled Kate. "Yes, he spent a year in Iraq. He just left the Marines and started working for Jasper's construction company."

"That must have been very difficult for you and Mattie," I commented.

"I guess," she said, uneasy.

"How are you ladies doing?" asked Mary. "Can I get you another round of drinks?"

"We're good for now," said Angela, smiling at her. "But thank you."

Mary just nodded and headed off to check on another table. Nobody said anything for several minutes. I couldn't help but feel like they just weren't sure how to behave around me. Like I was going to take offense to every little thing they said or did. I picked up my glass and drank down the last of my water.

"Maybe I should go," I said, finally breaking the silence.

"No."

"We want you to stay."

"Please don't leave."

"Why?" asked Alice, after Rose, Kate, and Angela all blurted out that I should stay. "Are you not having a good time. Bella?"

"I'm having a nice time," I said, softly. "But obviously all of you are uncomfortable around me."

"We just don't…" trailed off Kate. "You do it all on your own. We don't want to seem like whiners if we complain about our husbands not doing enough when you've been raising Alex alone."

"That's exactly what I am talking about," I sighed. "You don't act like this around Edward."

"No, we don't," said Rose, honestly.

"So why do you act like I am fixing to breakdown at a moments notice?" I asked.

"Because we don't know you," said Angela, smiling at me. "What you have to understand, Bella, is that we've known Edward since before he met Sarah. We were there when she got sick and there when she passed. We all pitched in and tried to help with Anthony as much as we could but you are different. You've been doing this solely on your own for…"

"Since he was born," I finished for her. "Although, I do have my father."

"We just don't want you to feel uncomfortable," said Kate, sadly.

"Well, this makes me feel uncomfortable," I frowned. "I'm just like all of you. I'm a mom who gets tired of cooking dinner every night and spending all day on Saturday catching up on the laundry that I've put off all week. I spend Sunday's making grocery lists and clipping coupons just so I can save fifty-five cents on toilet paper. I'm the one who cleans up after Alex when he's sick or holds him when he has a nightmare about clowns. The only difference is, is that I don't have someone there to kill spiders or fix leaking faucets so I have to do it."

"None of us have husbands who kill spiders either," chuckled Rose. "Emmett screams like a girl if he sees one."

"Ben does too," smiled Angela.

"If I let Jasper near a leaky faucet, we would end up with a flooded house and a sky high plumbers bill," laughed Alice.

"Don't get me started on what Garrett doesn't do," snorted Kate. "How hard is it to take out the trash when the can is full?"

"Very," I laughed. "I hate doing it."

"Me too," smiled Kate. "That's why it's on his list of chores."

"Right next to lawn care," added Angela.

"Oh, I don't do lawns," I laughed. "That's where my dad comes into the picture. I just let the grass grow until he gets tired of it and comes mows for me."

Rose, Kate, Alice, and Angela laughed with me. Just like that the tension that had surrounded us dissipated. Mary came back over and the girls ordered another round of drinks. I mostly sat back and listened as the girls started comparing the idiotic things their husbands do or don't do. As I sat there and listened to Rose, complaining about Emmett's socks that never seemed to make it to the hamper, I found myself thinking about Edward and whether or not his socks made it to his hamper.

**Thank you for all the reviews. **


	11. Chapter 11

EPOV

"Dad, when is Alex going to be here?" asked Anthony for at least the tenth time in the last hour.

"Soon," I said, once again.

"How soon?" whined Anthony.

I rolled my eyes from my position on the couch as I propped the book I was reading up on my chest. Anthony had been asking me all day when Alex was going to get here. Needless to say, he was very excited. He had a whole list of things planned for the two of them to do. I hope Alex was prepared for a busy night.

"What are you reading?" he asked, looking over at me from his position on the floor. "That looks like the kind of books that Nana reads."

"It is," I said. "Bella wrote it."

"Oh," said Anthony, shrugging his shoulders.

I turned back to the book in my hands. First thing this morning, Anthony and I headed to the grocery store to stock up on food for tonight. I figured while I was there that I would see if they had any of Bella's books. I was completely shocked when I found ten different books by Mallory Marie sitting on the shelves. I picked up a couple, or all of them, and brought them home. I've since been reading through her first one and while there may not be any actual sex, it was still plenty sexy.

"Dad, how much longer?" asked Anthony.

I was fixing to answer him when the doorbell rang. Anthony was on his feet in less than a second and half way to the door in the next. I chuckled softly as I climbed off the couch and followed him over to the door. I pulled the door open and felt my mouth drop to the floor. I'm pretty sure I felt drool slide out of my mouth, too.

Bella was standing on the front porch looking incredibly beautiful. I've always thought she was beautiful but, fuck me, she looked…sexy and hot and I found myself wanting to do really naughty things to her. She looked over at me and smiled, causing my heart to beat faster.

"Is something wrong?" asked Bella.

"Um, no," I muttered, looking away. My heart felt like it was going to break out of my chest. "You look…great."

"Thanks," said Bella, stepping into the house. "It's been a while since I attempted to fix myself up."

"Well, you, um, did a good job," I stammered, like a fifteen year old boy. What the hell was wrong with me?

"Thanks," Bella said, blushing and that wasn't helping. "Um, you have my cell number in case you need me and he's allergic to nuts so-"

"Bella," I said, quickly. Bella sighed as she looked up at me. "He will be fine. I have everything under control. Go and have some fun."

"Ok," She whispered, taking a deep breath. Yes, I watched her breasts moving. I was a pervert. She looked down at Alex. "Be good for Edward or else."

"I will, Mom," sighed Alex, pushing her toward the door. "Go."

"Ok, ok," Bella laughed. "I'll see you in the morning."

I shut the door behind her and leaned up against it. I don't know what the hell was wrong with me but I was losing it here. You would have thought that I was a fucking teenager ogling some girl instead of a twenty-eight year old father keeping my son's best friend for the night. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Shaking my head to push all thoughts of Bella out of my head, I opened my eyes and saw Anthony and Alex standing in front of me, watching me with confused looks on their faces.

"What?" I asked.

"You look funny," said Anthony.

"Yeah, you're really sweaty," added Alex.

"Oh," I muttered, rubbing my forehead with the back of my hand. "Um, are you guys hungry?"

"YEAH!" they cheered, jumping up and down.

"Ok, how does pizzas sound?" I asked, heading into the kitchen.

"Good," they said at the same time.

"Ok, you two go play while I get the pizza in the oven," I said.

"Ok," said Anthony. "Let's go to my room, Alex."

Alex and Anthony took off up the stairs while I made my way into the kitchen. I pulled out the pizza out the fridge and placed it on the oven rack. I sat down at the table while I waited for the pizza to cook. I could hear Anthony and Alex laughing from upstairs. I wonder if Bella was having fun. She probably has guys hitting on her. Fuck, my chest hurt just thinking about that.

"I'm going insane," I muttered to myself.

I made my way back into the living room and picked up the book I was reading. I sat down on the couch and began to read.

**As Simone reached across the bed, she hoped that Pier would be laying there but he wasn't. She sprang up in the bed and looked around the room. Her smile spread when she saw her lover standing in front of the window. **

"**What are you looking at?" asked Simone, slipping out the covers. She wasn't ashamed of her naked form. Pier turned and looked at her, taking all of her in.**

"**I was looking at the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen. However, it doesn't compare to you," he said, pulling Simone into his arms. **

"**Oh, Pier," cried Simone. "I need you to touch me, love me, make me yours."**

"**You are mine," growled Pier, crushing his lips down onto hers. His hands crept down her body until they reached her-**

"Dad, is the pizza ready?" asked Anthony, jumping off the last step.

"Um, let me check," I muttered, clearing my throat.

I set the book back onto the coffee table and headed back into the kitchen just as the timer was starting to go off. I grabbed my oven mitt and opened the oven. Ha, I didn't burn it this time. I pulled the pizza out and set it on top of the oven.

"Boys, pizza!" I hollered.

"YES!" they cheered, running into the kitchen.

"Wash your hands," I laughed, grabbing some plates out.

The boys washed their hands and dried them on their jeans. I was going to say something but opted just let it go. Picking your battles and all that. I got them each a slice of pizza as they settled down at the table. I poured them each a glass of milk and grabbed my own pizza. I had just sat down at the table when the doorbell rang.

"I'll be right back," I said, getting back up. I headed into the living room and pulled open the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Got off early," shrugged Emmett, stepping into the house. "Mom and Dad have Elliott so I thought I would come see my little brother. Is that ok?"

"UNCLE EM!" yelled Anthony, running into the living room. He launched himself into Emmett's arms.

"Hey, little man, what's up?" asked Emmett.

"Alex is spending the night," laughed Anthony, pointing to the doorway of the kitchen where Alex was standing. He was biting his bottom lip just like Bella does.

"What's up, Al?" laughed Emmett, setting Anthony down. He went over and squatted down in front of Alex. "You ok, little man?"

"Yeah," whispered Alex. "You're really big."

"I know," smiled Emmett. "Can I tell you a secret, though?"

"Yes," muttered Alex.

"I'm just a big softy," whispered Emmett. "I cry at Hallmark cards and Maytag commercials. My Mom says that I'm just a big baby."

"Oh," said Alex. "My Mom said you are a dork but that you were a nice dork."

"Well, I can't argue with your mom, little man," laughed Emmett, standing up. He turned back to me. "Is that pizza?"

"Yeah," I snorted, heading back into the kitchen. "Help yourself."

"Cool, thanks," chuckled Emmett, grabbing a couple of slices. He took the seat next to Alex. "You aren't going to steal my pizza are you, little man?"

"Maybe," smiled Alex.

"I guessed as much," scoffed Emmett.

Emmett continued to tease both Alex and Anthony while they ate their pizza. Once they had a slice and a half a piece, they were full and went running back up to Anthony's room. I put the left over pizza up and headed into the living room with Emmett. He plopped down on the couch and looked right down at the book I had been reading.

"What the hell is this?" he asked, picking it up. He flipped through a couple pages of it. "Dude, this is the crap that mom reads."

"Give it to me," I grumbled, ripping it out of his hands. "Bella wrote it. I was curious about her writing."

"No kidding?" he asked, pulling it out of my hands.

"Give it back," I hissed. Emmett pushed me back onto the couch, holding me down with one hand while he looked at one of the pages.

"Pier gazed into Simone's eyes, silently ravishing her body. She felt her body shiver and her nipples pebbled just from the sheer intensity of his gaze," read Emmett. "Crap, this is hot!"

"I know," I growled, pushing his hand off my chest and ripping the book from his hand. I closed it and tossed it back onto the table. "She's an amazing writer."

"Yes, she is," said Emmett, turning on the couch and looking at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he smirked. "Is there a game on?"

"Think so," I muttered, tossing him the remote.

Emmett didn't say anything else as he found us a baseball game to watch. The boys spent most of the night running up and down the stairs playing everything from Spiderman to GI Joes. Emmett and I both laughed as we watched them. We used to play the same things when we were little. Funny how things come back around as we get older.

Once the game was over, Emmett flipped off the TV and stood up. He headed over to the door but stopped and looked back at me.

"Edward, I know you don't want to hear this but…" he trailed off as he shook his head. "Sarah would want you to be happy."

"I know that, Emmett," I sighed, standing up.

"She wouldn't want you to be alone. She loved you and she loved Anthony more than anything but she wouldn't want you to be sitting here alone."

"Believe me, I know what she wanted, Emmett," I said, looking up at him.

"Do you?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest. "Because I think she would want you to smile and laugh again. She once told me that when you laughed it was like hearing Beethoven. I thought it was a load of crap at the time but maybe she was right."

"So what are you suggesting?" I asked, heatedly. "Should I just ask some random woman out? Let Anthony get all attached to her and then she realizes just how much of my time he needs, not wants, Emmett, needs, she'll bail on us. How do you suggest I deal with that?"

"Brother, you really are dense," snorted Emmett. "Open your eyes, Edward, and see what is right in front of you. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, later," I muttered.

I locked the door behind him and turned off everything downstairs. I headed upstairs and looked in on the boys. They were fast asleep in Anthony's bed. I smiled as I left the door cracked open. I headed into my bedroom and quickly changed into my pajamas. After brushing my teeth, I crawled into my bed and turned off my lamp. I rolled onto my side and hugged a pillow to my chest as I drifted off to sleep.

"_You are thinking too hard," laughed Sarah, rubbing her hands through my hair. She laid down next to me. "You are going to hurt yourself thinking so hard."_

"_So funny," I snorted, wrapping my arms around her. I leaned in and pressed my lips against hers. _

"_Why are you over thinking this?" she asked, leaning her forehead against mine._

"_What?" I asked, confused._

"_You know what," smiled Sarah. "Anthony has gotten so big."_

"_Too fast," I murmured._

"_Too fast," she agreed, nodding her head. Sarah moved her hands to the front of my chest. "I'll always love you, even if you do move on. You know that, right?"_

"_I do but I can't love anyone but you," I whispered._

"_Silly man, you already do. You just don't know it yet," smiled Sarah. "She's quite beautiful, too."_

"_Who?" I asked, scrunching up my face._

"_She'll be good for you, Edward," whispered Sarah. "Both of you."_

"_I don't know who you are talking about," I said. _

"_Shh, it's ok," she smiled, placing her hands on my lips. "You'll see it soon enough. Sleep now, Darling. I love you."_

"_I love you, too."_

**Thank you for all the reviews. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know!**


	12. Chapter 12

BPOV

You want to know what is really pathetic? Pacing back and forth in your living room until it was late enough to actually go pick up your child from his first sleep over because you woke up at the ass crack of dawn, missing the little guy. That is pathetic. Yet, what was I doing? You guessed it; pacing back and forth like a loser.

I had literally been up since before the sun started to rise. After coming home from girls night out, I climbed into my bed and attempted to sleep but the house was too quiet. Not that Alex was a noisy sleeper, because he wasn't, but I was used to knowing that he was tucked into his bed down the hall where I could check on him if I got worried.

Finally, the hands on the clock pushed past the nine and twelve making it ok for me to practically run out to my car. I threw my seatbelt on and pulled out of the driveway. Twelve minutes later, not that I was counting, I pulled my car up in front of Edward's large brick house. I jumped out of the driver's seat, forgetting I had my seatbelt on and choked myself. I cursed under my breath as I threw it off and nearly ran to the front door. I was fixing to knock when the door was pulled open.

I nearly choked on my spit when I saw Edward standing in front of me wearing a pair of red and black plaid pajama pants that hung loosely on his hips, a snug black tank top, and looking very hot with his wild sex hair and sparkling green eyes. What the fuck was wrong with me?

"I don't know why don't you tell me what is wrong with you," laughed Edward. I mentally slapped myself for speaking my thoughts out loud. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Nothing is wrong with me," I mumbled, stepping past him. Had he always smelt so good? Like freshly washed laundry and honeysuckles. "So, um, where's Alex?"

"He and Anthony are still asleep," said Edward, shutting the door behind me.

"Really?" I asked, following him into the kitchen. That's when I saw my book sitting on the table. "What the hell are you doing with that?"

"Oh, um," muttered Edward, reaching for it. I snatched it off the table and flipped through the pages. A few corners had been dog-eared and the bind had been bent back. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Did you read this?" I asked. Edward's cheeks turned bright red as he looked away.

"Maybe," he said, softly. I laughed as I sat down at the table. Edward poured me a cup of coffee and sat down across from me. "It's really good, by the way."

"It's rubbish," I snorted, tossing it back onto the table. "It's filled with idiotic delusions of love."

"You make that sound like a bad thing," said Edward, smiling as he leaned back in his seat. "Isn't that what all women want; the muscular man coming in and saving the day?"

"In theory, perhaps," I sighed. "But when reality comes slapping you in the face, you find yourself being the one doing it all."

"I suppose I get that," said Edward. "So how was girls night? Did you all go crazy and head over to the strip club?"

"Oh my god, how did you know?" I asked seriously. Edward choked on his coffee. "I must have stuffed at least twenty singles into various banana hammocks."

"Haha," he said, dryly.

"It was awkward as hell at first," I snorted, shaking my head. "They seemed to think that I was going to have a break down if they dared mentioned that they were married to imperfect men."

"Sucks, doesn't it?" laughed Edward.

"Yes," I said.

"After Sarah died, they would walk on eggs shells with me, too," explained Edward. "My parents kept popping over everyday to 'help' me with Anthony. I had already been taking care of him completely on my own since he was born. Sarah did what she could but she was so weak…Carlisle and Esme seemed to think that I was going to forget to feed him or something."

"When I found out I was pregnant, Charlie threatened, I mean offered, to move here and come live with me," I said. "He said 'Who's going to help you with your shoes when you get too fat to put them on yourself?' I threw him out and ignored him for a week."

"Sounds like something Emmett would say," snorted Edward. I picked up my coffee and took a small sip. "Was it hard going through the whole pregnancy alone?"

"Yes," I said, softly. "I had horrible morning sickness for the first four months. I was hospitalized three times because I would get so dehydrated. Once I moved past that, I was ok, I guess. Charlie went to every doctors appointment and Lamaze class with me. When I went into labor, nearly two weeks over my due date, Charlie held my hand while I cried and screamed." I paused as I blinked back my tears. "I couldn't have done it without him. He was my rock. Still is, actually. He stayed with us for the first week after Alex was born but then I had to do it on my own."

"He seems like a great father," murmured Edward as Alex and Anthony came into the kitchen.

"Momma," squealed Alex, jumping into my lap. I laughed softly as he threw his arms around me. "When did you get here?"

"Not long ago," I smiled as he leaned back. I brought my hands up and cupped his little face. "Did you and Anthony have fun?"

"We had the best time," laughed Alex. I looked over Alex's shoulder at Anthony, who looked a little sad.

"You ok, Anthony?" I asked.

"Yeah," he muttered, looking away. "I'm hungry."

"Well, what do you say we get dressed and go out to breakfast?" suggested Edward, looking over at me. "I'm buying, of course."

"Ok," I laughed, shaking my head. "Sounds good."

Alex jumped off my lap and headed back upstairs with Anthony, who looked back at me once more before he headed up after Alex. Edward quickly followed them both. I gathered mine and Edward's coffee cups and rinsed them out before I headed out to the living room. I laughed softly when I saw the rest of my books sitting on the top of the TV. Who knew Edward would read mindless smut?

"Ok, we about ready?" asked Edward, following Alex and Anthony down the stairs.

"Yep," I smiled. "Why don't we all just take my car since I parked behind you in the driveway?"

"Sounds good," shrugged Edward.

He and the boys followed me out to the car. Edward grabbed Anthony's booster seat from his car and we got the boys loaded inside. I followed Edward's directions to a small diner that I had never even heard of before. We got the boys unloaded and headed inside.

"Well, it's about darn time you two came in here," laughed a dark haired woman who was standing behind the counter. She had a huge smile on her face. She had to be in her early fifties, at least.

"Sorry, Sue," laughed Edward, going over and hugging her. "We've been busy."

"Yeah, right," snorted Sue. She came around swooped Anthony into her arms. Alex moved closer to me and slipped his arm around my leg. "How's it going, Anthony?"

"It's good," he shrugged. "We just started soccer."

"I will have to come watch you play," smiled Sue. She looked over at me and Alex. "Who are your friends?"

"That is Alex and his mom, Bella," said Anthony, smiling as he looked over at us.

"It's nice to meet you, Alex and Bella," smiled Sue as an young man with long dark black hair came out of the kitchen. "I'm Sue Clearwater and this is my son, Seth."

"It's nice to meet you," nodded Seth, looking over at Anthony. "You've grown at least two feet since I saw you last. What have you been eating?"

"Stuff that Bella taught Dad how to make," laughed Anthony. Sue and Seth both looked from Edward to me and smiled.

"Well, let's get you to a table and get you some breakfast," said Sue. She looked down at Alex and held out her hand. "Shall we, Sweetheart?"

"Ok," muttered Alex, slipping his hand into hers.

I followed her, Alex, Anthony, and Edward to a booth in the back. The boys insisted on sitting next to each other so Edward slid into the booth next to me. I could smell him and he smelled delicious. I took a deep breath as I picked up a menu. I was going crazy.

"Well, what can I get you and Alex to drink, Bella?" asked Sue.

"Oh, um, I'll take a glass of orange juice and he will have milk," I smiled.

"Ok, I'll get those right out," laughed Sue, walking away.

"Did you and Anthony order drinks?" I asked.

"She knows what we want," snorted Edward. I raised an eye at him. "We come here a lot."

"Oh," I said, looking back at the menu. "So what's good here?"

"Everything," shrugged Anthony. "I always get the pecan waffles because Dad only makes frozen ones."

"Are they good?" I asked, smiling at him as Edward muttered something about not all of us being an excellent cook.

"Probably not as good as yours," smiled Anthony. "You should make me some sometime."

"Anthony, that's not polite," snorted Edward.

"Deal," I said, winking at Anthony. "Only on one condition, though."

"What?" asked Anthony, warily.

"Don't do it," urged Alex. "It's a trap."

"You have to hug me," I said, seriously. Alex slapped his forehead and shook his head.

"Deal," Anthony said, rolling his eyes. "Girls and hugs."

"Ok, I have two orange juices and two milks," smiled Sue, setting the drinks on the table. "Do you know what you want?"

"Alex?" I asked.

"Edward, what are you having?" asked Alex, looking up.

"I'm having two eggs, toast with grape jelly, two pieces of bacon and sausage, and some hash browns," explained Edward. Alex nodded his head as he looked up at Sue.

"I'll have the same," he said. Sue chuckled as nodded her head.

"That's an awful lot of food," she laughed. "Hope you are hungry."

"Starving," shrugged Alex. Sue shook her head as she smiled and looked over at me.

"What can I get for you, Honey?" she asked.

"I think I am going to go with the pecan waffles. I've heard they were pretty darn good," I smiled.

"Ok, I'll have this right out," laughed Sue. Alex and Anthony started playing with a couple of GI Joes they had brought in.

"So what are you and Alex doing today?" asked Edward, turning in the booth and placing his arm on the back. I was suddenly aware of just how close he was.

"Um, no plans," I said, softly. "You and Anthony?"

"Nothing but I was thinking that today would be a good day for the zoo," smiled Edward. "You and Alex want to go?"

"Please, Mom?" begged Alex.

"Yeah, please Bella?" asked Anthony. I looked over at the both of them. They were sitting there with their bottom lips sticking out. I snorted and looked over at Edward only to find him with his bottom lip sticking out as he joined the pouters.

"Wow," I laughed. "Ok, we would love to but for the record, pouting is not cool."

"Worked, didn't it?" laughed Edward, causing me to roll my eyes at all three of them.

A few minutes later, Sue brought our food out to us. Anthony insisted that I be the one who cut up his waffles. How could I say no to that? He had a smile on his face as I pushed the plate back in front of him. He picked up his fork and started shoveling food into his mouth. I chuckled softly and began eating mine. They were pretty good.

Alex managed to eat about a quarter of what he had ordered. Edward and I ended up sharing the rest. I knew he would never eat all of that but I also knew better than to argue with him about ordering it. Once we were all done, we headed up to the cash register to pay. Anthony slipped his little hand into mine. When I looked down at him, he was looking up at me, like he wasn't sure it was ok. I just smiled and winked at him as I tightened my grip on his hand.

"Well, how was your breakfast?" asked Sue, ringing up our tab.

"It was delicious," I said, smiling.

"As it always is," chuckled Edward, handing her some money. "We'll see you soon, Sue, ok?"

"Ok, love you," said Sue, hugging him. She turned and knelt down in front of Alex and Anthony, looking up at me when she saw me holding his hand. "Well, boys, make sure your mom and dad let me know when your games start so I can come see you play, ok?"

"Ok, Sue," said Anthony, wrapping one arm around her neck.

"Ok," whispered Alex, stepping up and hugging her. He never hugged people he didn't know.

"Ok, who's ready for the zoo?" asked Edward.

"ME!" cheered Alex and Anthony.

I laughed as Anthony and I followed Alex and Edward out to my car. We got the boys loaded into the backseat and headed off to the zoo. Something told me this was going to be an interesting day.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Please keep them coming for they brighten my day like reading Bella's novels does for Edward. Since you are in the mood to read, go check out 'See It With Your Heart' by LadySkarlett. It's a fabulous story. **


	13. Chapter 13

EPOV

"Two adults and two children, please," I said, stepping up to the window in front of us. :

"Edward, I will pay for me and Alex," muttered Bella, pulling on my arm.

"I've got it," I smiled, looking back at her. She scowled but let go of my arm.

"Fine but I reserve the right to buy Anthony something from the gift shop," grumbled Bella.

"Ok," I snorted while Anthony, who was holding Bella's hand, smiled.

I turned back to the window and paid the lady for our tickets. Bella and I ushered the boys into the zoo and I swear they were nearly vibrating with excitement. Anthony and I had come here several times over the past few years. I looked over at Bella, Anthony, and Alex. God, she really was beautiful, wasn't she?

"So where should we go first?" asked Bella, looking down at our map.

"The snakes!" exclaimed Anthony. Bella scrunched up her face and Anthony's eyes went wide. "You don't like the snakes, Bella?"

"I'm not much of a snake person but if you two promise to stay with me, I'll go," smiled Bella, looking down at our boys.

"Don't worry, Momma, I'll take care of you," said Alex, slipping his hand into her free hand. He looked back at me and grabbed my hand. "You too, Edward."

"Well, thanks, Alex," I chuckled.

Bella smiled as she looked from her son up at me. I swear, I saw her cheeks turn a light pink before she turned away. It was beautiful and it made my toes tingle. Anthony and Alex started pulling Bella toward the reptile house and I shook off that feeling. What was going on with me today?

I followed them into the reptile house and watched as Alex's eyes grew wide and he smiled. He and Anthony let go of our hands and ran up to the glass case that held the Indian rock python. They both started talking about a mile a minute about how awesome the snake was. Bella and I followed them through as they checked out the boas, king cobra, and other snakes.

"They seem to like the snakes," I chuckled.

"Apparently," snorted Bella, looking over at me.

"When we come here, this is always the first place Anthony and I come. I don't know why," I commented.

"We've never been here," muttered Bella. My eyes flew open.

"You've lived in Seattle for seven years and you've never been to the zoo?" I asked.

"I know, it's sad really," sighed Bella, shaking her head. "But I guess I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?" I asked. Bella smiled softly as she looked from me to the boys.

"That someone would take him from me," murmured Bella. Shaking her head again, she stepped up behind the boys. "What's next?"

"Monkeys!" cheered Anthony, slipping his hand back into hers.

I followed them out of the reptile house and up the rainforest loop, past the jaguars, and to the monkeys. Bella knelt down between both the boys, wrapping her arms around each other there waists while they watched the monkeys swinging around. They were all smiling and laughing.

"Dad, come look," said Anthony, looking back at me. I went over and squatted down next to him. "See, the baby."

"Yeah," I smiled, following his finger as he pointed to one of the top branches where a tiny money was sitting in his mother's arms. "It's cute, huh?"

"Yeah," muttered Anthony. "I bet his mommy hugs him all the time like Bella hugs Alex."

"I bet she does, too," I whispered. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Bella frown as she looked over at me and Anthony. She quickly turned away but I noticed that she tightened her arm around my son. "Ok, where to next?"

"Is bug world ok, Bella?" asked Anthony, looking over at her.

"That's perfect, Sweetheart," said Bella, thickly.

Bella stood up and offered him her hand. He smiled as he placed his hand in hers. As we followed Bella and Anthony, Alex slipped his hand into mine.

If I thought the boys loved the reptile house, then the only word to express how they felt about bug world would be ecstatic. As soon as they saw the first display of Brazilian cockroaches, they scurried over and started watching them. From there we went and saw the Darkling beetle, Giant thorny phasmid, Sowbug, Orb weaving spider, American cockroach, Widow spider, and the Desert hairy scorpion.

"I think if I saw one of those coming at me," started Bella, gesturing to the scorpion, "I would totally freak out."

"Me too," I chuckled, looking over at her. She was watching the boys with a soft smile on her face. "Why Mallory Marie?"

"What?" she asked, looking over at me.

"Why do you use Mallory Marie as your pen name?" I asked.

"Oh, um, well, Mallory was Brody's last name and Marie is my middle name," said Bella, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh," I said, turning to face her. "But why do you use a pen name at all?"

"You've read that crap I write," laughed Bella.

"It was good," I insisted.

"Whatever," snorted Bella.

"I'm serious," I laughed.

"I don't know why I use a pen name," smiled Bella. "When I first sent in my manuscript for my first book, I was scared that they would…I don't know, laugh at me and call me a huge loser and insist that I never write another word again. I suppose that by using a pen name, I felt that I was protecting myself. I guess that doesn't make much sense, does it?"

"Sure it does," I chuckled.

"Where to next, Edward?" asked Alex as he and Anthony came back over to us.

I leaned over and looked at the map that Bella had pulled out. She turned and looked at me and I found myself lost in her beautiful, brown eyes. They were pulling me in, drawing me to her. It wasn't until I heard someone giggle that I realized that I was leaning into her. Bella and I both took a deep breath and turned back to the map, vaguely aware of the fact that our boys were watching us with huge smiles on their faces.

"Um," she murmured, shakily. "How about we head over to the African Savanna and check out the hippos and zebras?"

"Sounds good," I said, softly.

The boys agreed so we followed out of bug world and over to the African Savanna. The boys loved the hippos, zebras, elephants and lions. As we made our way through the zoo, stopping to see the orangutans and siamang, I found myself watching Bella. Every time we would stop, she would crouch down next to the boys, keeping her hand on the backs, and point out things they would have missed. It was while she was pointing to one of the small snow leopards that I realized my feelings for her went beyond friendship.

"I'm hungry," whine Anthony, looking back at me. "Can we eat now?"

"If it's ok with Bella and Alex," I said, clearing my throat as Bella looked back at me. She had a huge smile on her face. She blushed as she looked from me to the boys.

"Yeah, I'm kind of getting hungry too," she said, softly.

Anthony grabbed Bella's hand and started dragging her over to the Pacific Blue Chowder House. Alex slipped his hand into mine as we followed them. I looked down at him but he was watching his mom and my son with a smile on his face. We followed them up to the window and Bella turned and looked at me and Alex.

"Ok, Alex, what sounds good?" she asked. "Hotdog, hamburger, or chicken strips?"

"Hotdog," said Alex. "Can I have some fries?"

"Sure," smiled Bella. She looked down at Anthony. "What do you want, Sweetie?"

"I'll take a hotdog too," said Anthony, smiling back at her.

"Do you want some french fries?" asked Bella.

"Yes, please," muttered Anthony. I had never heard him say please to anyone. Bella smiled again as she looked up at me.

"Do you know what you want?" she asked, softly.

"Yeah," I said, gruffly. "But I'm buying."

"No, you aren't," snorted Bella.

"Yes, I am," I laughed.

"No, you are not," said Bella, folding her arms around her chest.

Her beautiful, full chest. Stop thinking like that pervert. I mentally scolded myself for thinking about her breasts and how they would fit perfectly in my hands. Or how amazing it would be to taste her nipples, to roll them between my fingers.

"Edward."

"What?" I asked, shaking my head. She cocked an eyebrow at me.

"The boys and I have already ordered," laughed Bella. "Just waiting on you."

"Oh, ok," I muttered. "I'll take a cheeseburger with everything, some fries, and a coke."

"Ok, sir," said the girl behind the counter. She rang up our order. "That will be forty-three dollars even."

"I've got it," I said but Bella shoved some money into the girls hand before I could. I turned and glared at her.

"Don't look at me like that," laughed Bella. "I told you I was buying."

"Fine but I reserve the right to buy Alex something in the gift shop," I smirked, shoving my wallet back into my back pocket.

"Fine," smiled Bella, taking her change from the girl, who was laughing at the two of us.

Bella took the boys over and helped them fill up their cups with their choice of soda while I waited for our food. It took nearly five minutes for them to get all our food made and when I turned back to the table where Bella and the boys were sitting, I nearly dropped the tray. Bella had both of the boys sitting in her lap. Anthony had his head on her shoulder while she told them whatever she was telling him and Alex.

I shook my head softy as I went over and set the try on the table. Anthony slid off Bella's lap but took the seat next to her while Alex came around and sat down next to me. We divvied up the food between all of us and started eating.

"So, are you boys having fun?" I asked.

"Yeah," smiled Anthony, mouth full of fries.

"I love it," chuckled Alex, looking up at me. "Thanks for bringing me and Mom, Edward."

"You're welcome," I smiled. "This is one of my favorite places in all of Seattle."

"Why?" asked Alex.

"I don't know," I said, moving my arm to the back of Alex's chair. "I guess it's because when I was a little boy my dad used to bring me, my brother, and my sister here."

"Oh," said Alex, frowning as he set his hotdog back on the table. "Papa is your dad, right?"

"Right," I said. Alex nodded his head as he picked up a French fry and popped it into his mouth. I noticed Bella frowning to her self as she watched him.

"Was he a good dad?" asked Alex.

"He's the best dad," I smiled.

"No, he's not," said Alex. "You're the best dad, Edward."

"Oh, well, thank you, Alex," I muttered, softly.

Bella looked away and blinked several times. I was pretty sure she was struggling not to let her tears fall. We finished out lunch and tossed our trash. We made our way over to the Raptor center and checked out the various owls and hawks. From there we headed across the way to the Australasia Willowing station and checked out the Emu and the Wallabies.

"Are you ok?" I whispered to Bella while the boys stood in front of the railing.

"Yes," whispered Bella, turning and looking over at me. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," I said, facing her.

"Have you dated since Sarah died?" she asked, softly. I took a deep breath as I looked over at the boys.

"No," I muttered.

"Why not?" she asked.

"I wasn't ready, I guess," I murmured. "Emmett has tried to set me a few times over the years but I just…I guess I wasn't ready then."

"Oh," whispered Bella.

"Have…you?" I asked.

"No," said Bella, pulling her bottom lip.

"Why not?" I asked, leaning against the railing behind us. Bella took a deep breath as she turned back toward me.

"I wasn't ready, either," said Bella, honestly. "I've never been an outgoing person. Brody knew how to get me to try new things. I guess I just retreated back to that person. Besides, I focused all my attention on Alex."

"I understand," I smiled.

"I thought I was protecting him, Edward, by not putting him in pre-school. I didn't see the point in putting him in school when I was working at home. Hell, if he didn't have to be, he wouldn't have gone to school this year," explained Bella.

"I didn't put Anthony in pre-school, either," I commented.

"You didn't?" She asked. "But he's so social."

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" I asked, smiling. "With the exception of Elliott, Mattie, and Anna, Anthony hasn't really been around other kids. Ninety-nine percent of the time, he's with me. The few times that he doesn't go to work with me, he would stay with Carlisle and Esme, Emmett and Rose, or Alice and Jasper."

"So…" she trailed off, turning back to the boys. "Are you thinking about…dating again?"

"I don't know," I murmured, looking back over at her. Her eyes were trained on our boys. "I guess it would depend on the woman. Are you?"

"No, I'm not into girls," smirked Bella, looking back at me.

"You know what I meant," I laughed.

"I don't know," said Bella, shrugging her shoulders as she looked up at me through her lashes. "Guess it would depend on the man."

"Where are we going next?" asked Anthony, coming back over to us with Alex. I smiled to myself as Bella pulled out the map. Did Bella just give me the go ahead to ask her out?

"Up the Northern Trail to the wolves and elf," smiled Bella.

"I hate the wolves," grumbled Anthony. "They stink."

Bella and I laughed as we followed the boys up the trail that headed to the wolves. As we were walking, I felt Bella's hand brush against mine. I didn't look at her as I reached down and grabbed her hand. From the corner of my eye, I saw her look over at me and smile as she tightened her grip on my hand.

I held her hand as we made our way past the wolves, where Alex informed us that he thought they stank as well, and the elk and headed up to the Brown Bears. Anthony and Alex both ran up to the glass and pressed their faces against it.

"When we were little, this was Emmett's favorite exhibit," I said, softly.

"Emmett's a bear himself," smiled Bella.

"True but when I was ten or so, one of the bears came right up on the glass in front of him and starting beating it's paws against. Emmett hightailed it out of here and refuses to come back, even now," I explained, smiling as I looked down at her.

"Poor Emmett," laughed Bella, leaning into my arm.

We headed back down toward the entrance to the zoo but stopped and let the boys ride on the carousal. I tried to talk Bella into riding it but she just laughed and pushed me over toward the boys. I stood in the middle of them and kept an arm around there waists as the carousal kept going round and round. Honestly, I was starting to feel a little nausea.

Once we had gotten that out of our system, we headed down to the gift shop. The moment the boys stepped inside, they took off to the toys. I shared a look with Bella as we followed them over to the toys. They took their time going over every little thing they saw, trying to decide what they could get. It wasn't until they reached the huge display of stuffed animals that they both smiled and looked at each other. Anthony pulled off a green, orange, and black snake that was bigger than him while Alex pulled off one that was red, blue and black.

"Are these ok?" asked Anthony, looking back at me and Bella.

"Of course," smiled Bella. "Are you sure that is what you want?"

"Yep," cheered Anthony, wrapping the snake around his shoulders.

"Alex?" I asked.

"Yeah, I've never had a stuffed snake before," he explained, wrapping his around his shoulders like Anthony had done.

"Sounds like a good pick then," I laughed. I looked over at Bella. "Did you see anything you wanted?"

"I'm going to be us t-shirts," smirked Bella, heading over to the huge display. She studied them all for a minute before she pulled off a camouflaged one and tossed it to me. I unfolded it and snorted. It had a picture of a scorpion and said 'Watch Your Step.'

"Perfect," I chuckled. Bella pulled one off for herself and grabbed the boys a couple of shirts. We headed over to the cash register and I set my shirt on the counter but Bella reached out and snagged it. "Bella-"

"No," she sang. "I'm buying the shirts."

"But-"

"No."

"Bella-"

"Unh-uh."

"Just listen-"

"No," laughed Bella, smirking. "I am buying our shirts."

"You're quite stubborn, aren't you?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

"Yes, you might as well accept that now," she smiled, winking at me. I laughed as I shook my head and paid for Alex's snake.

"Fine, I'll let you win this one but next time," I pointed out, "I will win."

"We'll see," giggled Bella, setting the shirts and Anthony's snake on the counter.

The woman behind the cash register was laughing as she looked between us both. Once Bella had paid for the shirts and Anthony had reclaimed his snake, we headed back out to the car. The boys climbed into their seats and buckled themselves in. I climbed into the passenger seat while Bella climbed in behind the wheel.

As she drive us through Seattle and back to my house, I listened to Anthony and Alex in the backseat. They were hissing at each other, through their snakes of course. I looked back over at Bella, who was smiling as she drove. She pulled her car into the driveway and looked over at me.

"We should probably get home," she said, softly. "I had a great time today."

"I did, too," I said, smiling at her. "We'll have to do it again soon."

"We'd like that," blushed Bella.

I took a deep breath as I climbed out of the car. I opened the back door and got Anthony unbuckled from his booster seat. He leaned over the front seat and wrapped his arms around Bella.

"Bye, Bella," said Anthony. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I had fun today."

"I did, too, Sweetheart," smiled Bella, hugging him the best she could. Anthony pulled back and looked over at Alex.

"See ya at school tomorrow," he said.

"Ok," said Alex. I helped Anthony out of the car and looked over at Alex. "Bye, Edward. Thanks again."

"You're welcome," I said, holding my fist up to him. His face exploded as he smiled and bumped my fist with his little hand. I looked back up at Bella. "See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight," she whispered.

I grabbed Anthony's snake and our t-shirts and shut the back door. Anthony and I stood on the porch and watched them as they drove off. We headed into the house and picked up before we made a sandwich for dinner.

By the time I got Anthony through the bath, into his pajamas, and into bed, he was nearly asleep. I pulled the blankets up and tucked them around him. I kissed his forehead before I headed out of his room, leaving the door cracked open. I headed down to my bedroom, took a hot shower, and pulled on my own pajamas.

I climbed into bed and turned off my light. I laid there in the darkness for awhile just thinking about the boys and how much fun they had today. I thought about Bella and how much she smiles when she watches the boys interact together. Then I thought about how much I smile when I am with her and Alex. Should I take the chance and ask Bella out on a date? Did I even know how to date anymore?

**Thank you for all the reviews. I know there was a bit of a delay in this chapter but real life likes to sneak up on me and I just realized that we have like two weeks until school starts and I was so not prepared! **


	14. Chapter 14

BPOV

When I woke up Monday morning, I was so freaking nervous. I wasn't sure why I was so nervous. Ok, so that's not true. I knew exactly why I was nervous. Edward was the reason I was so freaking nervous. I wasn't sure when my feeling for him changed from friendship to wanting…more. I mean, I've always thought he was gorgeous but I thought he was just my friend. My best friend. My only friend.

But sometime over the last couple days, I've come to realize that I liked him. Like more than as a friend. I knew it went beyond the fact that he was unbelievably gorgeous. It was so many things. He was funny and sarcastic, two qualities that I happen to love. He was smart and sensitive. He was an amazing father to Anthony. He loved that little boy more than Anthony will ever realize.

Not only that but he treated Alex like he was his own and made my son feel happy. To me, that was the biggest turn on.

"Momma, are you awake?" asked Alex, pushing my bedroom door all the way open. I looked over at my young son. He looked so much like his father. The same blond hair and eyes.

"Morning, Sweetie," I said, smiling as I pulled the blankets back. "You want to lay down with me for a minute?"

"Yes," laughed Alex, climbing into the bed. He snuggled up next to me as I pulled the blanket over him and draped my arm across his stomach. "Momma, can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can," I whispered.

"You like Edward, right?" he asked.

"Of course I do. He's a good friend," I said, softly.

"Do you like, like him?" asked Alex, looking up at me through his lashes.

"Alex," I whispered, shaking my head.

"Do you, Momma?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, honestly. Alex's face exploded in a smile. "But that doesn't mean that he likes me like that or that anything is going to happen other than Edward and I being friends."

"He likes you, too," said Alex.

"What makes you think so?" I asked.

"He took us to the zoo," said Alex, shrugging his little shoulders. "You don't take just anyone to the zoo, Mom."

"Oh, ok," I laughed. "You had better go get ready for school or we are going to be late."

"Fine," muttered Alex, climbing out the bed. He walked over to the door and looked back at me. "Momma?"

"What, honey?" I asked.

"Daddy wouldn't want you to be sad anymore," said Alex.

"I know, sweetie," I whispered.

Alex turned and walked out of the room, leaving me there. I knew he was right. I just wished it was as easy as he made it out to be. How do you move on from the person who had held your heart for nearly half your life?

I climbed off my bed and headed into the bathroom where I washed my face and brushed my teeth. I changed out of my pajamas and into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I headed downstairs and made Alex some french toast for breakfast. Once he had eaten two pieces, we gathered his backpack and headed off to school.

I pulled into the parking lot, next to Edward's Volvo, and got Alex out of his booster seat. We made our way around the corned and I laughed when I saw that Alex and Anthony were both wearing their new zoo shirts. Kind of glad I decided not to wear mine now.

"Morning, Bella," said Anthony, wrapping his arms around my waist as Alice opened her door.

"Good morning, Anthony, " I smiled, hugging him back.

"Ok, kids, come on in," cheered Alice. Anthony pulled back and I looked between him and Alex.

"You boys be good today, ok," I said.

"We will," chuckled Alex.

He and Anthony went into the classroom. I looked over at Edward, who was watching me with a smile on his face. I should have looked away but I couldn't. I found myself lost in his bright green eyes. Almost like they were drawing me to him, beckoning me to him. I took a deep breath and looked away, just to find Alice watching us with an even bigger smile on her face.

"Well, I should go," I muttered, looking away. I turned and headed back out to the parking lot.

"So what are your plans for the day?" asked Edward, falling into step with me.

"Oh, um, I need to go to the store and grab a few things. Maybe attempt to actually write something," I said, looking over at him as we stopped in front of our cars. "What about you?"

"Oh, I have a shoot this morning," sighed Edward, leaning against the hood of his car.

"I thought you only worked on the weekends?" I asked.

"I did but with Anthony in school all day, I thought I might open up a couple days a weeks," explained Edward. "This morning I am taking pictures of someone's dog."

"Dog?" I asked, trying to stifle my laughter.

"Yes, a little poodle to be exact," said Edward, dryly. "I know it's silly but it's good money and since I have bills to pay…"

"Hey, I am not judging you," I snickered. "You've read the crap that I write in order to pay my bills."

"I'm telling you, they are really good books," insisted Edward. I laughed as I rolled my eyes. "Fine, don't believe me but you shouldn't be writing that crap anyway. You should be writing something bigger than that."

"You think so?" I asked.

"I know so," smiled Edward, standing up. "I had better get going. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, later," I murmured.

I climbed into my car and watched as Edward pulled his car out and headed off to work. Was he right? Should I try writing on the more than dozen outlines I have tucked away inside of my desk? Do I take the chance? I wasn't sure and it was making my head hurt to even think about it.

I shifted my car into reverse and headed out of the parking lot and down to the grocery store. I parked next to black Mercedes and climbed out. I headed inside the store ad grabbed a shopping basket, and pulled out my list. I headed over to the juice aisle and tried to decide between apple and grape.

"Good morning, Bella," said Esme Cullen. I threw my hand up to my chest as I jumped. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine," I said, taking a deep breath as I looked over at her. "I just wasn't paying much attention."

"I see," smiled Esme. "How's Alex?"

"Oh, he's fine," I said, grabbing a couple bottle of apple juice off the shelve.

"Good, good," said Esme. "Do you mind if I shop with you?"

"Um, no," I muttered.

Esme smiled as she grabbed her own bottle of apple juice and tucked it into her basket. I turned and headed over to the soups and started grabbing some cream of mushroom and chicken and rice. I wasn't sure why Esme was wanting to shop with me. I was just buying groceries, for crying out loud.

"So…" she trailed off. "Did you and Alex have a nice weekend?"

"Yes, Alex stayed the night with Anthony Saturday night while I went out with Rose and Alice. Yesterday, Edward and I took the boys to the zoo," I explained.

"That's right," smiled Esme. "Alice told me that you all were having a girls night. I think it's great that you girls got a break from dealing with children and…"

"Husbands," I finished for her. "They certainly needed the break from theirs based on some of the stories they told me."

"I'm sure they did," murmured Esme as we made out way over to the vegetables. "Let me see, I need some onions, carrots, and celery."

As Esme grabbed her onions, I moved over and started looking at the tomatoes. Would there ever come a day when people wouldn't act like I was the only woman who was raising a child completely on her own? It was getting old really fast.

"The tomatoes look good," said Esme.

"Yes, they do," I sighed, bagging a couple of them. "Esme, what is it that you want?"

"Excuse me?" she asked, looking over at me.

"You don't know me very well yet you are grocery shopping with me. You act like you aren't sure how to behave around me and I don't understand why," I said, placing my tomatoes in my basket. "I mean it's not like I am the only single mom out there."

"You're right, you're not," admitted Esme, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm sorry if I've made you feel uncomfortable."

"I just don't want to be treated any different than you would treat Rose or Angela or Kate," I said, shortly. "I've had my fill of pity from everyone."

"I don't pity you, Bella," said Esme, smiling at me. "I admire you."

"Why?" I asked. "I'm just a mom."

"First of all, there is no such thing as just as mom," smiled Esme. "You certainly aren't just anything. You are a strong woman, who is raising a good man."

"I know that," I admitted. "But so is Rose."

"True," agreed Esme. "Well, two if you count Emmett."

"Good point," I laughed. "But you don't treat Edward like this."

"Oh, sure we do," snorted Esme as we made our way to the cookies. "We've just learned to be sneaky about it."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because Edward is stubborn and pigheaded, Bella," smiled Esme. "I love my son and he is an amazing father but he too stubborn for his own good. Sometimes he needs a little push in the right direction. Sometimes, someone has to make the first move," said Esme, giving me a pointed look. "I'm done so I am going to head over to the check out line. I'll see you later, Bella."

I stood there as Esme turned and pushed her basket away. What the hell was she talking about? Why did I have the nasty feeling that she was trying to tell me something? The only thing I knew for sure was that while Esme Cullen was pushy and a little strange, I really liked her. What the hell did that say about me?

By the time I headed back to the school to pick up Alex, I was two hundred dollars poorer and had a house full of food but I still hadn't been able to do any writing. I had never had this much of a problem with writing and I didn't understand why all of the sudden I couldn't even seem to write crap.

I parked my car next to Edward's Volvo and headed over to the gates, feeling happy that at least I was going to get to see him. Christ, I really did have it bad. It was pathetic. Edward was standing next to Emmett, who was smirking while Edward was scowling. Emmett's smirk grew when he looked over and saw me coming, which was both creepy and weird but this was Emmett we were talking about.

"Hello, Bella," said Emmett, smiling. "How are you today?"

"Fine," I said, cautiously. He was acting extra weird today, "Have you been sniffing paint? You do know that it's bad for you, don't you?"

"Haha, so funny," snorted Emmett. "I'm just in a good mood."

"Right," I said, slowly as I looked over at Edward, who was laughing softly. "It's paint, right?"

"Probably," chortled Edward. Emmett huffed and folded his arms in front of his chest. The smirk was no longer on his face. "I've been telling him for years to stop but he won't."

"I'm sure you've done the best you can, Edward," I smiled, patting him on the arm. "It's not your fault."

"Yeah, neither of you are funny," muttered Emmett as Kate and Angela came up to us.

"Why is Emmett pouting?" asked Kate.

"Bella's picking on me," pouted Emmett. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I am doing no such thing," I said, defending myself. "I was simply wondering why you were being so weird."

"Oh, Bella," laughed Angela. "Emmett is just weird, period."

"ANG!" exclaimed Emmett, throwing his arms up in the air. "You're supposed to be my friend."

"If I wasn't your friend, I would lie to your face, Em," snorted Angela as the gates were opened.

"Whatever," he muttered.

"It's ok, Emmett," I said, patting him on the shoulder as we headed inside. "Even though you are a weird, I kind of like you."

"Even though you aren't scared of me, Bella," smiled Emmett. "I kind of like you, too. Just don't get me into anymore trouble with Rose. She had me cleaning gutters all day yesterday."

"That is not my fault, you big dork," I laughed.

"Was too," mumbled Emmett walking down to the first grade classrooms with Kate.

"Have a good afternoon, kids," smiled Alice, opening her classroom door. Alex and Anthony came out of the classroom.

"Can we go get ice cream?" they asked at the same time. I laughed as I looked over at Edward.

"It's fine with me," I smiled.

"Me too," said Edward, returning my smile.

The boys both cheered as we headed out to the cars. Alex and I followed Edward and Anthony over to a Baskin Robbins. The boys both got chocolate cones while Edward got mint chocolate chip and I got rocky road. The boys sat in a booth by themselves after telling us that they were old enough to have space. Both Edward and I rolled our eyes but settled into the booth across from them. Alex and Anthony put their heads together and I knew they were up to something.

"So did you write today?" asked Edward, drawing my attention back to him.

"No," I muttered. "Would it be crazy for me to attempt to write something new?"

"No," snorted Edward. "You are a good writer. Why don't you have more confidence in your work?"

"I don't know," I sighed. "It's hard. I mean, next to Alex, my writing is the most important part of me. I put so much of myself into each book."

"I get that," smiled Edward. "I'm the same way with my photography. I mean, shooting people's kids, or dogs as today's case was, pays my bills but I would really like to do more than family portraits."

"So why aren't you?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow at him. "You keep telling me to take the chance and write something other than that crap I write so why aren't you taking your own advice?"

"I'll make you a deal," smirked Edward. "When you start writing a real book, I will start taking real pictures."

"That's not fair," I muttered.

"Sounds fair to me," said Edward.

"Fine, it's a deal," I huffed. "But when they tell me that my book is a load of crap, I'm going to hold you responsible."

"Whatever," snorted Edward.

Once the boys were done with their ice scream, having gotten it all over their faces and shirts, we headed back out to our cars. We got the boys loaded into the cars and I turned and looked back at Edward. He looked over at me and I could feel my cheeks light up with my blush. Stupid, annoying blush!

"So, I guess we'll see you guys in the morning," I said, pulling my bottom lip in between my teeth.

"Yeah," muttered Edward, looking down at his feet. "Bella, do you…"

"Do I what?" I asked. Edward looked up at me.

"Well, I'm not working tomorrow and I was thinking…" he paused as he took a deep breath. "I was thinking that maybe we could have lunch together or go watch a movie or something."

"I'd like that," I said, blushing furiously. Edward's smiled spread across his face.

"Yeah?" he asked. I nodded my head. "Cool. Well, we can decide for sure what we want to do in the morning, ok?"

"Sounds good," I smiled. "See you in the morning."

"See you," smiled Edward.

I could feel my blush burning through my cheeks as I climbed into the car. I pulled on my seatbelt and looked back at Edward as he climbed into his car. He turned back and smiled at me before I pulled out. I had a date with Edward Cullen. Fuck me, I didn't know how to date anymore.

**Thank you for all the reviews. So when I went to start this chapter, I intended for it go a little differently. I had about a quarter of it done and scrapped the whole thing and started over. I'm sorry for the delay but I wanted it to be right. Anyway, coming up in the next chapter, the big date ;)**


	15. Chapter 15

**EPOV**

"Dad, you're freaking me out," said Anthony.

I rolled my eyes as I continued to pace around the kitchen while he was supposed to be eating his breakfast. I was so fucking nervous about my date with Bella that I couldn't even look at food because I was already on the verge of throwing up everywhere. It was so bad that I couldn't even handle one cup of coffee this morning and normally, coffee was pumping through my veins like blood should be.

"Dad, I'm fixing to call Papa and have him give you a shot if you don't stop," grumbled Anthony.

I plopped down in the seat in front of him but didn't say anything. I wasn't sure if I should mention my date with Bella to him. He already loved her and made his feelings about wanting her and Alex in our lives but what if we didn't work out? What if we realized that we should stay friends? What if Bella realized that I was just a big dork and laughed in my face, taking Alex away, and joining the witness protection program just to get away from me?

"I'm going insane," I muttered, standing back up and started pacing again.

"Dad, are you sick?" asked Anthony. I stopped and looked over at him.

"No," I said. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Well, last night when we were at Nana and Papa's, I heard Uncle Em tell Aunt Rosie that you were love sick," explained Anthony. "I thought that maybe that's why you are acting so weird."

"I'm not acting weird," I snorted.

"Dad, you are acting like Aunt Ali does when she's shopping," scoffed Anthony, taking his cereal bowl over and pouring his milk down the sink. "You seriously need to chill out."

"Go brush your teeth and get your backpack," I muttered.

"Fine," sighed Anthony.

First thing I was going to have to do was go over and kill my brother. He had no clue what he was talking about. He just didn't know when to shut the hell up. Ever since he figured out that I had feelings for Bella, he hadn't let it go. I thought I was hiding it better but when he came up to me yesterday when I was waiting for the gates to open, he figured it out. He started teasing me and didn't stop until Bella came up on us. God, I loved how she knocked him down a few notches. She really knew how to get him to shut up.

"Dad, you coming?" yelled Anthony.

"Yeah, yeah," I hollered back, heading into the living room.

"You are so slow sometimes," muttered Anthony.

I chose to ignore the comments coming from my son as I ushered him out of the house and out to the car. Once we were both buckled up, I pulled my car out of the driveway and headed down to the school. I took my usual parking spot next to Bella's SUV. Anthony and I climbed out at the same time that she and Alex did.

God, she was so beautiful. She was wearing a pair of jeans that looked like they were painted on and blue button up shirt with short capped sleeves. The blue bounced off her pale skin, making her look even more beautiful then she normally does. Anthony and Alex took off toward their classroom, leaving me and Bella to follow them.

"How was your night?" she asked, quietly.

"It was good," I said, nodding my head. I felt like such an idiot. "How about yours?"

"Um, pretty good, I guess," mumbled Bella.

Bella and I rounded the corner and found Alex and Anthony standing against the wall next to Anna, who was gazing lovingly at Alex. I looked over at Bella and noticed that she was smiling at her young son. It looks like someone had an admirer. Angela was standing across from her daughter with a look of glee etched on her face. It was a good thing Ben wasn't here to see his daughter making goo-goo eyes at Alex.

"Alex, will you come to my birthday party?" asked Anna, pulling Alex's attention from my son over to hers.

"Um," said Alex, looking over at Bella. I followed his gaze as she slowly nodded her head. "Sure. When is it?"

"Saturday," smiled Anna. Alex nodded his head as he looked down at the ground. I could have been imagining it but I could have sworn his cheeks turned a little pink.

"Who else is coming?" asked Alex.

"Oh, um, Mattie, Elliott, Anthony, and Sadie," said Anna. "It should be a lot of fun."

"I'm sure it will be," smiled Alex, looking up at her. "With you there."

"Aw," whispered Bella as Alice opened her door.

"Good morning, children," smiled Alice. "Come in, come in."

"Bye, Mom. Bye, Edward," said Alex, heading into the classroom.

"Bye, Bella," smiled Anthony before looking over at me. "Later, Dad."

"Later," I said, rolling my eyes at him.

Anthony looked between me and Bella before he headed into the classroom with a smirk on his little face. Did he know I was taking her out today? He couldn't know, right? I took a deep breath and turned to Bella, who was getting all the details about Anna's party from Angela. She looked over at me and blushed. That blush was going to kill me.

"I'll bring the invite to soccer practice tonight," said Angela, looking between us.

"Ok," smiled Bella. "I guess I should get going."

"Yeah, me too," I mumbled, feeling Angela's piercing black eyes boring into.

Bella pulled on her bottom lip as she turned and headed out to parking lot. I nodded at Angela, feeling like the biggest loser, and followed her out. Bella stopped in front of her car and looked back at me, still chewing on her bottom lip. I don't know what caused me to do it but I reached up and tugged her lip out from between her teeth.

"Thanks," whispered Bella, blushing again.

"You're welcome," I murmured. I cleared my throat, softly. "So, I'll pick you up at eleven? Is that ok?"

"Yeah, that'd be great," smiled Bella, looking up at me. "Um, did you decide what we are doing?"

"Ok, um, I thought we would grab an early lunch at this little sandwich shop down on the pier and maybe just see what we feel like doing from there?" I said, like I was asking her.

"Sounds like plan," murmured Bella. "I guess I'll see you later."

"Later," I chuckled, awkwardly.

I stood there like an idiot and watched Bella climb into her SUV and drive away from the school. Why I just stood there wasn't something that I understood or could explain but that was what I did. I shook my head as I went over and climbed into my car and headed back to my house. I headed inside and plopped down on the couch, laying my arms over my head, and tried to calm down.

Two hours and forty-five minutes later, I climbed off of the couch and headed back out to my car. I had thought about changing out of my jeans and white dress shirt that I had put on this morning but decided that I was being emo enough and I didn't need to add to by going through every shirt in my closest just to end up putting this one back on. Besides, none of my other shirts were right this morning, so I didn't think they would be now, either.

I pulled up in front of Bella's house and climbed out of my car. I suddenly felt like I was sixteen years old and going on my first date. I almost expected to see her father opening the door with a smug look on his face or sitting at the kitchen table, cleaning his gun. I headed up to the porch and rang the door bell. Less than a second later, the door was pulled open and I automatically felt my smile spring up on my face. There was Bella, looking amazing.

"Hey," I said, dumbly. The Idiot had returned.

"Hi," she murmured, blushing again.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"Yeah," smiled Bella, grabbing a sweater and locking her front door.

I led Bella over to my car and opened the door for her. She giggled softly before she climbed in. I could hear her giggle everyday and never get tired of hearing it. I gently shut the door behind her and nearly catapulted over the car to get to the driver's side. I know I was beet red when I finally climbed into the car. I started the car and headed down to the pier.

"So," said Bella, looking over at me. "What did you do this morning?"

"Oh, um, not much," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "How about you?"

"I tried to work but that wasn't happening," laughed Bella. "So I did what I thought I would never do, I watched the Disney Channel."

"Oh no," I chuckled, looking over at her. "You must have been pretty desperate to stoop so low as to actually watch that channel."

"I was," smiled Bella.

The rest of our ride to the pier was made in silence. It wasn't really awkward but not exactly peaceful either. It was a mixture of the two. I parked my car in one of the many parking lots that lined the pier and ran around to Bella's side and helped her out of the car. As we slowly made our way down to Juniper's Sandwiches, I held Bella's hand in mine. It was funny how her normal it felt for her hand to be in mine. I couldn't help but wonder if it would feel just as normal to feel her lips pressed against mine.

We headed into the sandwich shop and up to the counter. Bella ordered a turkey sandwich with ranch dressing while I ordered chicken salad. We settled at a small table in the back corner and waited for our food to be ready.

"So you grew up here in Seattle?" asked Bella, a couple of minutes later.

"Born and raised," I smiled.

"What was it like growing up in such a big city?" she asked, leaning up on the table and resting her chin on the palm of her hand.

"It was good for the most part," I said, "Going to school with hundreds of kids was overwhelming but you get used it."

"I can't even imagine," smiled Bella, shaking her head. "I graduated with thirty other kids and we all had grown up together since we could walk and talk. I can't imagine going to school daily with people whose names I never even knew."

"Number thirty-six," called out the server at the counter.

"That's us," I said, standing up.

I went over and grabbed our tray and headed back over to Bella. I set her sandwich in front of her and placed mine in front of me. Bella picked up half of her sandwich and took a big bite. Watching as her lips wrapped around the sandwich was very erotic and my cock was rock hard. What the hell was going on with me? I was turning into a horny, teenage boy all over again.

"Is it good?" I asked, huskily. Bella looked up at me through her lashes and my cock twitched in my jeans.

"It's delicious," she murmured, softly.

"You have some dressing on the corner of your mouth," I breathed. Bella snaked out her tongue out of her mouth and swept it over the corner of her mouth and I barely stifled my moan. That was so hot.

"Did I get it?" she asked.

"Yes," I murmured.

"Aren't you going to eat?" she asked, laughing softly. I shook my head and looked down at my own sandwich.

"Of course, I am," I muttered, blushing. Great, now I was turning into a teenage girl. I picked up my sandwich and took a bite.

"So, what kind of kid were you in high school?" asked Bella.

"I guess I was kind of the class nerd," I said, shrugging my shoulders as I looked back up at her. She cocked an eyebrow at me. "What?"

"There is no way you could have ever been a nerd," scoffed Bella.

"I was," I insisted. "It was horrible. I was super skinny and about three inches shorter than I am now. I was quiet and very socially inept."

"That still doesn't make you a nerd," said Bella.

"Ok, so maybe I wasn't a nerd but I really wasn't anyone either," I said. "It was hard, though, because Emmett was this huge jock and everyone loved him. Alice was the perky little cheerleader and then there was me, the quiet kid with his face hidden behind his camera."

"How'd you get into photography?" asked Bella.

"Esme," I smiled. "She used to be a photographer."

"Used to be?" asked Bella.

"Yeah, when I was twelve, she got sick," I said, softly. "She had a brain tumor and nearly lost her eyesight completely."

"Oh," whispered Bella.

"When they went in and removed the tumor she was able to regain about seventy percent of what she lost," I explained, quietly. "She struggled a lot with her recovery so she and I would spend hours sitting on her bed, going through her photos. I fell in love with it. She gave me her camera for my thirteenth birthday and I never looked back."

"Wow," whispered Bella, wiping a tear off her face.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," I muttered.

"No, it's just…She's a very strong woman, isn't she?" asked Bella.

"Yes, she is," I smiled. "She has such a positive attitude about life and…love. I admire her for how strong she is, pushing through so much. I guess, like how Charlie is your rock, Esme is mine."

"That's really cool, Edward," smiled Bella. "Not many men would admit to needing their mother like that."

"I guess," I muttered. I cleared my throat and noticed that we were both done. "What do you want to do now?"

"Um, how about if we just window shop for a bit?" asked Bella, smiling at me. "I haven't been down here in a long time."

"Ok," I said, softly.

Bella and I tossed our trash into the trash can and headed outside. I reached over and slipped my hand into hers, blending our fingers together as we slowly made our way down the peer, stopping every once in a while and looking at the displays in the windows. Well, Bella was looking at the displays, I was watching her. As if she could feel my eyes on her, Bella looked up at me and I found myself lost in her amazing brown eyes. I reached up with my free hand and cupped her face in my hand. I leaned in and slowly pressed my lips down onto hers.

**Don't hate me for ending it there! Next chapter picks up from BPOV and continues on with the date. Thank you for all the reviews. Please keep them coming as they feed my soul and my soul is hungry ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

BPOV

Edward and I were standing outside of a little antique shop, peering inside the window. I was trying not to focus on the fact that Edward was holding my hand. Honestly, I was afraid that I would start blurting out random bits of information like the fact that when you die your hair still grows for a couple of months. See, completely random. Then he would finally see me as a fruit cake and take off running on me.

I could feel his eyes on me so I looked up at him. He was staring at me with the most intense look in his amazing green eyes. Edward brought his free hand up and cupped my face. I could feel my breath catch in my chest when Edward leaned in, lips parted just a bit, and kissed me.

My arms moved around him and pulled him into me as I kissed him back. Edward moaned and pressed me against the glass of the antique shop. Just the sound of his throaty moan caused my girly parts to tickle. I swiped my tongue along his bottom lip, practically begging for him to let me in. Edward's lips parted even more and I slipped my tongue into his warm mouth. Our mouths were moving frantically against each other's.

"Hey, get off our window," yelled the shopkeeper. Edward pulled his lips away from mine as we both looked over to see the short, bald man standing in the doorway of his shop. "This isn't the Holiday Inn, for chrissake!"

"Sorry," chuckled Edward, gripping my hips in his hands as he pulled me off the window. "We'll just be going now."

"Yeah, our bad," I snickered, letting Edward pull me further down the peer and away from the shopkeeper. "Well, that was…awkward."

"The kiss or the man yelling at us to get off his window?" asked Edward, releasing my hips but taking my hand in his.

"Definitely the man," I smiled, looking up at him. I could feel my cheeks color and I suddenly felt so nervous. Like I hadn't been nervous enough before the kiss. "The kiss was kind of incredible."

"For me as well," smiled Edward. "So tell me what kind of person you were in high school."

"That's easy," I snorted. "I was the anti-social girl who lived in the library and tried to stay out of everyone's way as much as possible."

"I can't imagine you ever being anti-social," scoffed Edward.

"Trust me I was," I said, softly. "My mother left me and Charlie when I was four. She literally just walked out of the house in the middle of the afternoon, leaving me playing on the living room floor. My father came home three hours later to find me home alone, covered in the milk that I had tried to get myself."

"Wow, what a bitch," muttered Edward.

"After she left us, Charlie would take me down to the station with him instead of putting me in daycare. When he was responding to a call, I would stay with the dispatcher, Margaret, or one of the other officers," I explained.

"Which explains why cops don't intimate you at all," smiled Edward.

"When you spend the majority of your life in the squad room, you learn how to manipulate them into letting you do what you want," I smirked.

"Did you ever see your mom again?" he asked.

"She came back when I was six," I said as the smirk dropped off my face. "Charlie arrested her for child abandonment and threw her ass in jail for three days until the judge, who she had slept with, ordered her release."

"Good," grumbled Edward. "She deserved to be thrown in jail."

"She called a few times over the next few months but it didn't take her long to disappear again," I explained. "That's pretty much been her routine. I haven't seen or talked to her since before Alex was born. She wasn't exactly supportive of my decision to keep him and raise him alone."

"She wasn't?" he asked as his eyebrows shot up.

"No," I sighed. "She told me that I should give him to a nice family who could give him what I couldn't, a mother and a father. She said that I should think about myself and take Brody's death as a sign that I wasn't meant to be married or a mother. I had to hold Charlie back when he lunged for her and called her a fucking whore who wouldn't know the first thing about being a real parent."

"I'm liking Charlie more and more," muttered Edward. I chuckled softly. "Sounds like he is a great father who loves you very much."

"He is," I agreed. "I think that's why I knew I could raise Alex on my own."

"You've done a great job with him, Bella. He's a great kid," smiled Edward as we sat down on a bench. He moved his arm and placed it behind me, laying his hand on my shoulder. "I've worried so much about messing Anthony up, you know? I never expected to be raising him on my own. I feel like I am constantly second guessing myself."

"I do that too," I admitted.

"You do?" he asked. I nodded my head. "Doesn't seem like it."

"All an act to make myself seem cooler," I laughed, softly.

"You don't need to act to be cool," he smiled, winking at me. "It's natural for you."

"That was kind of corny," I snorted.

"It was, wasn't it?" he asked, scrunching up his face. I nodded my head at him. "Well, not all of us can be super cool like you. Some of us have to work very hard at it."

"Doesn't seem like you have to work very hard," I murmured, blushing for some unknown reason.

"Trust me, I do," he said, quietly as he gazed down at me. "I'm terrified that…"

"That what?" I asked. Edward shifted on the bench so that he was facing me as he brought his other hand up and cradled my face once again.

"That you are going to realize that I'm not good enough for you," he murmured. "But I really like you, Bella. I haven't felt like this in so long. It scares the shit out-"

I interrupted him as I leaned up and pressed my lips to his. Edward's arms tightened around my shoulder, pulling me closer to him as he deepened the kiss. I gripped his hair between my fingers before I pulled back just enough that their was a small amount of space between us but not much.

"Edward, I like you, too," I whispered. "I'm scared, too, but I want to see where this can lead us. I want you and Anthony in mine and Alex's lives. It feels right to me."

"For me as well," whispered Edward. His watched beeped and he looked down at it. "We had better get going or we aren't going to get to the school in time to get the boys."

"Ok," I said, softly.

Edward and I headed back down the pier to where his car was parked. He opened the car door for me and I climbed inside. It felt weird having him opening my door for me but I liked it. Edward climbed into the driver's seat and took off toward the school.

A few minutes later, Edward pulled his car up into the parking lot of the school. We climbed out and headed over to where Kate, Angela, and Rose were standing, talking quietly to themselves. As soon as we stepped over to them, they stopped talking. I shared a look with Edward, nodded his head in agreement with my silent question. They were talking about us. It took a lot of effort not to roll my eyes at them.

"Edward, I came by this afternoon but you weren't home," said Rose, raising one of her eyebrows.

"I know," smiled Edward.

"Well, where were you?" she asked, matching his smile but honestly, it looked much better on him. He looked sexy with it. I took a deep breath as I looked away. What was wrong with me?

"Why do you want to know?" he asked, folding his arms in front of his chest. I bit my lip to stop from laughing at his played this game with his sister-in-law.

"No reason," she said, waving her hand around nonchalantly before looking over at me. "I came by your house too, Bella, but you weren't home either."

"I know," I said, smiling sweetly at her. "Did you need something?"

"No, just wanted to hang out or whatever," smirked Rose, looking from me to Edward. Kate and Angela were snickering to themselves as they stood there and watched Rose interrogate us. "You know, have some girl time."

"Oh, well, maybe we can have girl time another day," I said, shrugging my shoulders as Christina opened the gate.

"You two aren't fooling anyone, you know," she laughed. "It's as clear as day."

"What is?" asked Edward.

"Oh, Edward," laughed Rose, heading into the school. "I may be blond but I am not dumb. Just wait till I tell Esme."

Edward and I both laughed softly as we headed into the school yard to pick up our boys. Leave it to Rose to be the one who called us out, not that we were hiding. Alice opened her door and Alex and Anthony came running out at us. They both were smiling and laughing.

"Dad, guess what?" beamed Anthony.

"You found a million dollars in your backpack," guessed Edward, squatting down in front of his son. Both Alex and Anthony rolled their eyes at him. "You said to guess."

"Bella, guess what," said Anthony, ignoring Edward as he looked over at me.

"What?" I asked, kneeling down next to Edward.

"I read my library book all by myself," he said, proudly.

"That's great, Anthony," I said, hugging him. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Bella," smiled Anthony. "Alex has been helping me with the big words."

"Hey, I'm proud of you too," said Edward, pulling Anthony into his arms. "I know how hard you've been working at it."

"He did really good, Mom," said Alex, smiling at his best friend. "And Mrs. Whitlock let us pick a prize out of her treasure chest."

"That was very nice of her," I smiled. "I hope you said thank you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Whitlock," said Alex, turning back to Alice. She was standing in her doorway smiling at all of us, especially as she looked from me to Edward.

"Yeah, thanks, Aunt Ali," muttered Anthony.

"You both are very welcome," beamed Alice. "You two have been working so hard for me."

"Well, we should be getting home," smiled Edward, standing up. I stood up next to him.

"Yeah, you boys have soccer practice tonight, don't you?" I asked.

"Yep," smiled Anthony, slipping his hand into mine. "And a big game on Saturday."

"That's right," I murmured.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Alice looking down at mine and Anthony's hands as we turned to follow Alex and Edward. When we got to Edward's car, Alex stopped and looked around before looking up at me.

"Momma, where's our car?" he asked.

"Oh, I rode with Edward," I said, blushing bright red.

"Oh," smiled Alex. "Ok."

We got the boys loaded into the backseat and Edward drove me and Alex back to our house. I got Alex unloaded and he ran into the house, looking for a snack, while Edward walked me up to the door. I pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth as I looked up at him. He had a small smile on his face as he looked down at me.

"So I guess I'll see you in just a little while?" he asked.

"Yep," I smiled, feeling my blush creeping up onto my face. Gah, why did I have to blush all the time! "So…later then."

"Later," whispered Edward. He leaned down and kissed me softly before he turned and ran back over to his car.

I watched as Edward pulled his car out of the driveway and headed down the road. Smiling to myself, I turned and headed back into the house. I found Alex in the kitchen attempting to make himself a jelly sandwich. I leaned against the door frame and watched as he spread the strawberry jelly over his slice of bread. Of course, he got more jelly on the counter than he did on his bread but it was in this moment that I realized how big he really was getting.

"You want one?" he asked, holding out the torn sandwich in my direction. "I can make myself another one."

"No, thank you," I smiled, going over to him. I kissed the top of his head. "Why don't you go watch TV for a few minutes before you have to get ready for practice."

"Ok," he said.

Alex headed into the living room, eating his sandwich, and I grabbed the dishrag and started cleaning up his mess. Once the kitchen was clean, I headed into the laundry room and grabbed his soccer clothes out of the dryer. I headed back into the living room and sat down next to him and watched cartoon with him.

An hour later, he was cleaned up and ready for soccer. We loaded up in the car and headed down to the park for practice. I parked my car behind Edward's and climbed out. I helped Alex out and watched as he ran over to where Edward and Anthony were. He jumped up and gave Edward a high five before he ran over and started kicking the soccer ball with Anthony.

"He's really good for Alex," said Alice. I looked over as she stepped over to me with Ivy on her hip.

"Anthony's been a good friend for Alex," I said, pulling out my blanket from the back of my car.

"I'm sure he has but I was talking about Edward," smiled Alice. I closed the back of my car and headed over to the side of the field without saying anything. "It's ok, you know."

"What's ok, Alice?" I asked, spreading my blanket on the ground and sitting down. Alice sat down next to me and set Ivy on the blanket. She crawled over and climbed into my lap.

"She really likes you," murmured Alice. She cleared her throat and looked out at the boys, Edward, and now Jasper. "It's ok to let Edward be there for Alex. Just like Anthony needs you, Bella."

"I know," I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"I don't mean to butt in, Bella," said Alice.

"None of you seem to mean to butt in, do you, Alice?" I asked. Perhaps a little sharper than I meant to. "You, Esme, Rose, Emmett, none of you seem to mean to do anything, yet all you do is butt in and try to tell us what we are trying to work out for ourselves. There are two little boys involved here whose needs take the forefront to anything that Edward and I have."

"I'm sorry," whispered Alice, looking back out at Edward, Jasper, Garrett, Emmett, and Ben who were greeting some of the other kids from the team. "It's just that we've all had to sit back for four years and watch him waste away right in front of is. No matter how much we tried to help, Edward insisted on doing it all alone."

"Don't you think I know that?" I asked, looking over at her. "Alice, I know just how hard it is to raise a child alone."

"I know you do," said Alice.

"No, you really don't," I said, harshly as I set Ivy down on the blanket. "You have Jasper. I've been alone for six years, Alice."

"You're right, I do have Jasper," she said, softly. "I'm thankful everyday that my husband is here to help me raise our daughter."

"Look, I'm really not trying to sound like a bitch," I sighed, shaking my head as I looked out at the kids. "I am grateful that Edward and Anthony are a part of mine and Alex's lives but the last thing I need right now, that Edward needs right now, is for all of you to make a big deal of our…friendship."

"Friendship," snorted Alice, smirking at me. "Well, I will try not to make a big deal out of your…friendship, if you do something for me."

"What?" I asked warily.

"Be my room mom," smirked Alice. My mouth fell open. "Oh, Bella, please do it. I know you would do a fantastic job planning the parties. Pretty please?"

"Alice," I whined. She jutted out her bottom lip and pouted. "Not you too!"

"Bella, please," she begged. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"Fine," I grumbled. Alice started clapping. "But I'm not happy about it."

"Oh, it won't be so bad," giggled Alice.

I didn't agree with her but I wasn't going to say something. Shouldn't the room mom be someone with older kids? Or at least someone who knows what in the hell they are doing. I knew nothing about throwing parties for kids. As we watched the boys practice, Ivy climbed back into my lap and ended up falling asleep. It was very sweet.

Once Edward had dismissed the team, Alice scooped her daughter up in her arms and carried her over to her minivan. I folded up my blanket and watched as Alex helped Anthony and Edward collect everything. I followed them over to our cars. We got the boys loaded in and Edward came over to me.

"So, I've been thinking that maybe after the boys' game on Saturday that maybe the four of us of could go to Anna's party together," said Edward, smiling as he placed his on my hips.

"Sounds like a plan," I smiled, blushing.

"Beautiful," he whispered. Of course, I just blushed even darker. Edward took a deep breath as he stepped closer to me. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Ok," I murmured, wrapping my arms around him. "Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodnight, Bella," smiled Edward.

He leaned down and pecked me on the lips before he pulled his hands off my hips. Inwardly, I took a deep breath and headed around, climbed into my car, and pulled on my seat belt. Edward headed over and climbed into his car and pulled out. I looked back at Alex in the rear view mirror as I started the car. He was sitting there with a huge smile on his face.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Nothing," he said, smiling. "What's for dinner?"

"Soup," I laughed, shaking my head at him.

"Homemade or canned?" he asked, raising his own little eyebrow at me.

"Homemade," I smiled.

"YAY!" he cheered.

I laughed again as I pulled my car out onto the road and headed home. Alex colored at the table and told me all about his day at school while I heated up the soup. Once he had eaten his fill, I got him into the bath and into a pair of clean pajamas. I tucked him into his bed, pulling the blankets up around him.

"Mom, can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can," I said, smiling at him.

"Can Anthony and Edward sleep over for my birthday?" he asked. I took a deep breath as I set his teddy bear on his bed next to him.

"I'll think about it," I whispered.

"Ok," he said, nodding his head at me. "Mom?"

"What?" I asked.

"Edward kissed you," he said, point blank.

"Yeah, he did," I admitted.

"Does that make him your boyfriend?" he asked, seriously.

"No," I said, quickly. Alex's face fall. "Not what you were wanting to hear?"

"Well, it's just…" he trailed off, shaking his head.

"What, Sweetheart?" I asked.

"Well, today at school Anna kissed me on the cheek and told me I was her boyfriend," he said. I bit my lips to stop my smile from popping up. "But if it doesn't make me her boyfriend because she kissed me, then what will?"

"Oh, um," I said, thinking about it. "Buying her a flower."

"Oh," he whispered, scrunching up his face. "Mom, before school tomorrow can we go buy Anna a flower?"

"We'll see," I giggled. "It's time to go to sleep."

"Ok," muttered Alex, rolling onto his side and clutching his teddy bear to his chest. "Night."

"Goodnight, I love you," I whispered, kissing his head.

"Love you," he mumbled.

I walked out of his room, leaving his door partially open, and headed down the hallway to my room. I changed into my pajamas and brushed my teeth before climbing into my bed. I rolled onto my side and looked over at the picture of me and Alex sitting on my nightstand. My little boy was growing up so fast. I flipped off my light and pulled a pillow up to my chest. As I drifted off to sleep, I thought about Edward and Anthony. Could the four of us become a real family?

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews! Seriously, I got 83 reviews over the last chapter alone. I loved each and every one of them so please keep reviewing. **


	17. Chapter 17

"Mom, get up," whined Alex, pulling the blankets off of me. "Mother!"

"Alex, what time is it?" I grumbled, pulling my pillow over my head.

"Six, zero, zero," he said. I threw my pillow off my head and looked over at him. He was sitting on the edge of my bed, already dressed, and bouncing up and down.

"What are you doing up so early?" I asked. "Did you comb your hair all by yourself?"

"Yes," he muttered. "You said we could go buy Anna a flower before school."

"I said maybe we would go buy Anna a flower before school," I said, snorting. "Not that we definitely would."

"Mommy, please," begged Alex, slapping his little hands together and placing them under his chin. He was such a little cheater.

"Did Grandpa teach you to beg like that?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

"If I tell you the truth, is it going to get Grandpa in trouble?" he asked, warily.

"Probably but if you don't tell me the truth then I get to kiss your entire face for five minutes," I smirked.

"Yes, Grandpa told me to beg," yelled Alex, jumping off my bed and running out of my room. "Please, just hurry!"

"I'm hurrying," I muttered, climbing off my bed.

Twenty minutes later, I had managed to shower and get dressed with Alex only coming in once to yell at me to hurry. I had to remind him that I was the mom here and he had better remember that little fact when he spoke to me. After a heartfelt apology, he announced he would be in the living room watching cartoons when I was done. Good thing I love that boy!

I was very nervous while trying to decide what to wear today. Normally, I would just put on the first pair of jeans I touched and the t-shirt sitting on top when I pulled open the dresser drawer but now that Edward and I were seeing each other or whatever it was we were doing, I wanted to look pretty for him. Maybe I needed to go buy some sexier looking clothes.

In the end, I gave up on trying to look sexy and just settled on wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I kept reminding myself that it was important that I was comfortable and not sexy. I was trying really hard to remember that as I headed downstairs. Alex was sitting on the couch with the television on but I don't think he was really looking at it.

"Finally," sighed Alex, throwing his little hands up in the air.

"What do you want for breakfast?" I asked, ignoring his comments.

"I'm not hungry," he said, quickly.

"Alex, honey, it's only six-thirty in the morning," I said, smiling at him. "We have plenty of time to eat and go get Anna a flower."

"We do?" he asked.

"Yes, we do," I laughed.

"Ok, well, I wouldn't say no to some toast," he said, smiling at me.

"Toast it is," I chuckled.

Alex followed me into the kitchen and started coloring while I made us some toast with strawberry jam on it. He ate his two pieces in about two bites, shoving as much as he could fit into his mouth. Of course all that meant was that he ended up smearing the jam around his mouth. I got him cleaned up and finished my own toast.

Alex jumped up and grabbed my hand and proceeded to pull me to the front door where my purse and his backpack were already waiting for us. He didn't say anything as he handed me my purse and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He threw open the front door and ran out to the car. I laughed to myself as I locked up the house and followed him over to the car. Someone was determined to get Anna a flower.

Ten minutes later, I parked my car in front of Mary's flower shop. I climbed out and helped Alex out of his booster seat. He jumped out of the back of the car and took off running up to the front door and into the small florist shop before I could get the back door shut. I followed him in as an older woman, around the age of sixty, came out of the back with an armful of daisies. She looked over at us and smiled.

"Well, hello," she said, politely. "How may I help you today?"

"My son-"

"Mom, I got this," said Alex, holding his hand up to stop me from speaking. I smiled and motioned for him to continue. He turned back to the woman, who was smiling at him. "I would like to buy a flower for someone very special."

"Oh, I see," murmured the woman, coming around the corner. She knelt down in front of Alex and smiled. "My name is Mary, young man."

"My name is Alex," said Alex, sticking his hand out to her. She giggled as she placed her hand in his. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

"So polite," commented Mary. "Can you tell me about this special person?"

"Yes, ma'am," smiled Alex. "Her name is Anna and she is really pretty." Alex lowered his voice like he was whispering. "Almost as pretty as my mom."

"I see," laughed Mary, peeking up at me. I smiled at her. Who knew my son could be such a little charmer? "Well, what kind of flower were you thinking about getting Anna?"

"She always wears yellow and uses her yellow crayon at school," murmured Alex. "So maybe a yellow one?"

"A yellow flower," mused Mary, standing up. She headed over and started looking thorough her freshly cut flowers. "How about this one? It's called a Butter Daisy."

"It's pretty," smiled Alex. "How much is it?"

"I'll tell you what, I'll let you have it," offered Mary, holding the flower out to him.

"Oh, no, ma'am," refused Alex, quickly. "My Momma says if you take something without paying then it's stealing. My Grandpa would have to arrest me and I don't want him to."

"Alex, this wouldn't be stealing," I said, softly as I knelt down next to him. "Mary is offering to let you have it."

"I would rather pay for it," muttered Alex, looking over at me. He pulled two dollars out of his pocket. "Is this enough, Momma?"

"Um," I said, looking up at Mary. She nodded her head very discreetly. "That's exactly how much it costs, Sweetie."

Alex went over to Mary and held out the two crumpled dollars bills. "Here you go."

"Oh, ok, well, thank you," smiled Mary, taking the two dollars from him. "Why don't you let me wrap this up for Anna while you work on a card."

"Momma, will you help me on the card?" asked Alex, looking back at me.

"Of course, I will," I smiled.

While Mary headed into the back to wrap the Butter Daisy that Alex had bought for Anna, he and I worked on his card. He insisted on writing everything which mean I was in charge of helping him spell everything. Mary came back a few minutes later with the flower that had been tucked into a long rectangle box and had a yellow ribbon wrapped around it. Alex's face lit up when she handed it to him.

"Thank you, Mary. I know that Anna will love it," smiled Alex.

"I'm sure she will," laughed Mary. Alex headed over to the door as Mary slipped his two dollars into my hand and whispered to me, "Make sure he gets these back. He's a very sweet young man."

"I will," I said, softly. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," smiled Mary.

Alex waved at her once more before we walked out of the small flower shop and climbed back into the car. He was holding the flower in this lap while nervously tapping his foot on the back of the passenger seat. Twenty minutes later, I parked my car up in the school parking lot next to Edward's Volvo and I was suddenly the nervous wreck.

I held the flower while Alex climbed out of the car. He took it back from me and we made our way around the back of the school and over to his classroom. Anna was standing against the wall, next to Anthony while Edward and Angela were standing across from them. Edward looked over at me and smiled, causing me to blush.

"Hi, Anna," said Alex, stopping in front of her. He thrust the flower into her. "This is for you."

"Thank you, Alex," smiled Anna, taking the box from him and looking through the plastic covering. "It's so pretty. Yellow is my favorite color."

"I know." Alex blushed as he looked down at his feet. Angela had her hands up to her mouth, trying very hard not to squeal. "There's a card, too."

"Momma, will you help me read my card?" asked Anna, looking up at Angela.

"Sure," smiled Angela. Anna moved over to her mother and pulled out the small card. "It says 'Anna, you are very pretty. Please be my girlfriend.'"

"I'm already your girlfriend, Alex," smiled Anna, looking at my son. "Remember on the playground yesterday?"

"Yeah but my mom said I had to buy you a flower to be your boyfriend," muttered Alex. Edward cocked an eyebrow as he looked over at me.

"Dad," whispered-yelled Anthony. "You know what to do now."

"Good morning, children," sang Alice, opening her door. She looked around and noticed the flower box laying in Anna's arms. "Oh, Annabeth, what a beautiful flower."

"Thank you, Mrs. Whitlock," smiled Anna. "Alex gave it to me."

"Oh, isn't that sweet," murmured Alice, looking between the two children. "Well, come on in, kids. We have a lot of work to do today."

"Bye Momma," said Alex, hugging me.

"Bye, sweetie," I whispered.

He followed Anthony and Anna, who refused to let Angela take the flower home, into Alice's classroom. Angela came over and hooked her arm in with mine as we headed out to the parking lot with Edward following us closely. I was pretty sure he was looking at my ass, not that I really minded.

"So, maybe we don't tell Ben about this for awhile," giggled Angela, stopping in front of her car. "He may not think it's as cute as I do that Anna has a little boyfriend."

"Especially when he hears that she's kissing him on the cheek," I smiled.

"Really?" asked Angela. I nodded my head. "Defiantly don't need to tell Ben about this yet."

Angela was still laughing as she climbed into her car and headed out of the parking lot. I went down to my car and found Edward leaning against the driver's side door. He had a lazy, gorgeous smile on his face that sent shivers through my body.

"Hey," I murmured, dumbly.

"Good morning," he said, smiling wider at me. He reached out and gripped my hips in his hands, pulling me closer to him. "Did you have a good night?"

"I did," I said, resting my hands on his chest. "How about you?"

"I did, too," smiled Edward. "What are your plans for the day?"

"I'm going to attempt to write today," I sighed.

"Something new?" he asked, hopefully.

"I'm going to try," I laughed. "What are you doing today?"

"I have a shoot at ten," said Edward. "Engagement pictures but after that I'm thinking about going out to one of the beaches and taking some pictures. Try something new, you know?"

"I do," I smiled. "I hope you have fun."

"You could come with me if you want," he suggested.

"I would but I really need to get some writing done," I said, sadly. "How about if you and Anthony come over for dinner tonight?"

"Oh, we are going to my parents for dinner. It's a weekly tradition," he said, frowning. "Do you and Alex want to come with us?"

"Um, can I think about it?" I asked. "It's just last time was…"

"Awkward," he finished for me.

"Yeah," I said, quietly.

"Ok, just think about it and if you decide not to, then it's ok," smiled Edward. "I'll see you after school, ok?"

"Yep," I said, leaning up and kissing him. "Bye."

"Bye," murmured Edward.

Edward kissed me once more before he moved and opened my car door for me. My face was bright red as I climbed inside. He shut the door behind me and watched as I started my car and headed out of the parking lot. I drove home and made myself some much needed coffee before heading up to my office and staring my laptop.

While it was loading up, I pulled out my folder of outlines and started going through them, trying to decide on one to work on. It was such a hard decision to make. I didn't want to write the same mindless smut that I've been writing for almost eight years. I wanted to write something new and fresh.

I ultimately decided to bite the bullet and go with something completely new and different. A story about witches and wizards. It was probably going to be crap but I had to at least try. That's what I was telling myself at least. I placed the outline up next to my computer and starred at it for several minutes before I actually started writing.

I'm not sure how long I had been at it when the doorbell rang. I looked down at my watch and noticed it was almost noon already. I saved my work and ran down the stairs and threw the front door open. There standing on my doorstep was a delivery man holding the largest bouquet blue roses I had ever seen.

"Bella Swan?" he asked.

"That's me," I said, quietly.

"I need you to sign for these," he said, holding out his clipboard to me. I quickly signed my name and handed it back to him. "Here you go."

"Um, thanks," I stammered, taking the flowers. "Hang on let me get you a tip."

"Already taken care of," the man smiled. "Have a nice day."

"You too," I muttered, closing the door.

I brought the roses up to my nose and inhaled deeply. They smelled amazing. I headed into the kitchen and pulled a crystal vase out from under the sink and filled it halfway with water. I placed the roses in the vase and moved them to the dinning room table. I pulled the card out of the top and opened it.

**Bella,**

**I hear if you want a girl to be your girlfriend  
****you have to buy her a flower. Hope you have  
****a wonderful day, love.**

**Edward**

I smiled as I placed the card on the table in front of the rose. Was Edward asking me to be his girlfriend?

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews to the last chapter. 94 reviews for the last one! I can't even tell you how shocked and amazing I am at that! So once again, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart!**


	18. Chapter 18

EPOV

I watched Bella pull her car out of the parking space and head back to her house. I was starting to feel a little like a predator as I watched her drive off, or at the very least a stalker. Was it pathetic that the minute she was gone, I missed her and wanted her to come back? Yes, it was pathetic but I didn't really care in this moment.

I chuckled to myself as I headed over to my car and climbed in. I started my car and headed down to my studio to get ready for my shoot this morning. Last night on the way home from soccer practice, Anthony had the biggest smile on his face but he never said anything. When we got home, we had dinner, took a bath, and got ready for bed. That's when he started in on me.

"_Dad," said Anthony as I tucked him in. "You kissed Bella."_

"_Um, yeah, I did," I muttered, clearing my throat. "Is that ok with you?"_

"_Yeah," smiled Anthony. "She's your girlfriend now, right?"_

"_Um," I said, nervously. "I…I don't know."_

"_If you kissed her then she's your girlfriend," huffed Anthony. "That's what Anna told Alex."_

"_It doesn't work like that," I said, stifling the urge to snort. Ben was going to have his hands full with Anna. "I have to ask Bella if she will be my girlfriend."_

"_So when are you going to ask her?" he asked. Gee, ask me something I know already, I thought._

"_I don't know," I sighed. "Do you think she would say yes?"_

"_Duh," snorted Anthony. "You should woo her."_

"_Woo her?" I asked. "Who taught you that word?"_

"_I heard Aunt Ali talking to Uncle Jas as school. She said that you have to woo a girl to make them like you," explained Anthony. "What does woo mean?"_

"_Um, it means you have to make her feel special," I said, nodding my head. Why I was nodding my head, I had no clue but I was._

"_Oh," he said, scrunching up his face. "Then find a way to woo her, Dad."_

"_I'll see what I can do," I laughed. "Go to sleep."_

"_Ok," grumbled Anthony. He rolled onto his side and pulled his stuffed snake that Bella had bought him up to his chest. "Dad?"_

"_What?" I asked, standing up. Anthony looked back at me. _

"_I really like Bella," he said, seriously. _

"_I really like her too, Anthony," I smiled. "I'll figure it out, ok?"_

"_Ok," said Anthony, yawning._

I shut the door behind me and went straight down to my room, where I spent the rest of the night thinking about Anthony's words. To think like a child again would be so nice, wouldn't it? I wanted Bella to be my girlfriend but was it too soon to ask her? How do I ask her? It's all so confusing and complicated at the same time. Then it hit me. Well, it was more like Anthony informed me of what was right in front of me. I knew what I had to do. I smiled to myself as I pressed down on the gas pedal. If I hurried I would have time to do this and get to my studio in time.

Ten minutes later, I pulled up in front a small florist shop named Mary's Flower Shop. I recognized the logo from the box that held the flower that Alex had gotten Anna. I have to admit that the boy was smooth. I climbed out of my car and headed inside the small shop. I was nervous. It had been quite a few years since I had bought a woman flowers. What kind do I get?

"May I help you, young man?" asked an older woman, stepping out of the back of the shop.

"Yes, ma'am," I said, quietly as I moved over to the counter. "I would like to order some flowers for a…friend. Well, I'm kind of hoping that after she gets the flowers that we'll be more than friends. I mean, we already are but-"

"Stop rambling and take a deep breath," she laughed, placing her hand on my shoulder. I laughed nervously as I took a deep breath.

"Sorry, it's been a while for me," I muttered.

"Don't be sorry," she smiled. "My name is Mary. Now, tell me about your lady friend?"

"Oh, ok," I said, smiling softly. "Well, she's…amazing and kind. She's sexy and beautiful. She's an amazing mom and is so patient with her son. And my son, too, for that matter."

"You really like this woman, don't you?" asked Mary. She had a simple smile laying on her lips.

"Yes, I do," I said, honestly. "Very much."

"Hmm, yes, it's clear that she holds a very special place in your heart," murmured Mary. "What kind of flowers were you wanting to send?"

"Um, I don't know," I said, sheepishly. "I haven't sent flowers to a woman in ten years."

"Well, you can't go wrong with roses," giggled Mary.

"Roses sound perfect," I smiled.

"Ok, well, what color?" she asked, leading me over to her display. I had never seen so many different color of roses. There were pink, red, yellow, orange, lavender, and blush colored roses but as soon as I saw the blue roses, I knew those were for Bella.

"The blue ones," I said, quietly.

"Blue roses are my favorite," mused Mary. "How many were you wanting to send her?"

"Two dozen?" I asked. Why I was asking her was something else I didn't know but I was.

"Two dozen sounds lovely," laughed Mary. She scooped up the roses and looked back at me. "Why don't you work on the card while I get these ready. You do want us to deliver them, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, ma'am," I said, smiling at her.

Mary took the flowers into the back while I went over to the counter and picked out the perfect card for her. I picked up Mary's pen that was sitting on the counter and tried to figure out exactly what I wanted to say. Do I just write 'Bella, will you be my girlfriend?' No, that's sounds stupid. I might as well as her to check yes or no. I ran my hands through my hair and sighed. That's when it hit me.

_My mom said I had to buy you a flower to be your boyfriend._

As Alex's words ran across my mind, I knew exactly what I wanted to put on the card. I could feel myself smiling as I wrote the card out. I placed the card into an envelope just as Mary came back out. I looked up and felt my smiled widen. She had arranged the a beautiful bundle tied together with a blue satin ribbon. It was simply breathtaking.

"They're perfect," I said, softly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she smiled. "I should be able to get them to your…friend around lunch time. Just write her address down for me."

"Ok," I said, scribbling Bella's address down for Mary.

I slid it across the counter along with my credit card. Mary rang up my order and I signed the credit card slip before placing the card back into my wallet. I thanked Mary once again before heading back out to my car. I swear I was damn near skipping. Good thing Emmett wasn't here to see that shit. He never would have let me live it down.

I climbed back into my car and made it to my studio with five minutes to spare. Amy and Arnold, my engaged couple, were patiently waiting for me outside. I apologized for being late and ushered them inside. Once I got all my equipment set up and ready, I brought them to the back and started their shoot.

It took about an hour and a half to get all the pictures that they wanted. I was trying to be patient with them but as the clock clicked closer to noon, I found myself getting more and more distracted. Amy and Arnold finally left and I locked up my studio. I climbed back into my car and headed down to mine and Anthony's favorite beaches. I pocketed my cell phone and grabbed my camera before locking my car up and heading out onto the beach.

I had been the beach for about an hour when I felt my cell phone vibrate in my back pocket. I would be lying if I didn't admit to finding the sensation quite enjoyable. _God, I am turning into quite the pervert, _I thought as I pulled my phone out of my back pocket. Of course all other thoughts flew out of my mind when I saw that it was a text message from Bella. I took a deep breath as I flipped my phone open and read the message.

_**E-Thank you for the roses…and if you are asking me what I think you are asking me, the answer is…yes.-B**_

I literally jumped for fucking joy and pumped my fist into the air as I read that last word. Bella Swan was saying yes to being my girlfriend. I was still smiling as I hit the reply button on my cell phone and began typing a message back to her.

_**B-Thank goodness you got them and thank you for responding to my question. I'll see you soon, girlfriend.-E**_

I pocket my cell phone and went back to taking pictures. I just couldn't get over it. Bella Swan was my girlfriend. I'm pretty sure I had a huge fucking smile plastered all over my face.

I spent the rest of the afternoon taking pictures of just nearly everything I could see. The surf, the landscaping. It felt nice to take pictures of something other than people and their kids or dogs. Doing all of that paid my bills, kept a house of mine and Anthony's heads, and put food on the table, even if I wasn't usually the one cooking it, but I had always wanted to do more. Sarah always pushed me to do more and now so was Bella. I think Sarah would have really liked Bella.

Just after three, I headed back up to my car and drove back to the school. I pulled my car up in the parking lot next to Bella's SUV. I practically jumped out of the car and ran over to where she was waiting with Rose and Angela. Like she could feel my eyes on her, she looked over at me and smiled. My heart beat furiously in my chest. I had to remind myself to take a deep breath as I walked the final ten feet to where she was.

"Hey," I said, quietly.

"Hey," she said, blushing a delicious pink. "So, um, thanks again for the flowers. They were really beautiful."

"You're welcome." I smiled as I reached up and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Bella's eyes fluttered to a close as she leaned into my hand.

"Um, Edward, Bella," laughed Kate. I shock my head and looked over at her. She, Rose, and Angela were standing by the now unlocked gates. "The bell is fixing to ring."

"Oh, right," muttered Bella, blushing even more as she pulled away from my hand.

I tried to ignore the smirks coming from Rose, Kate, and Angela as I followed Bella past them and into the school yard. That had been an awkward moment. I followed Bella over to Alice's classroom and leaned up against the wall next to her. She was still bright red, clearly embarrassed about how we had been so wrapped up in each other just moments ago.

"So, um, did you decide about tonight?" I asked, quietly as I turned toward her. She pulled her bottom lip in-between her teeth as she looked up at me. I wanted to kiss her and it was taking all my control not to.

"I, um, guess we'll go but, if it starts getting weird again," said Bella, laughing under her breath. "We are leaving. Deal?"

"Deal," I chuckled.

Alice opened her door and I looked up as Alex, Anthony, and Anna came out. Anna was clutching her boxed flower very closely to her chest as she walked over to Angela. She looked back at Alex and smiled before she waved and followed her mother out to the parking lot. Oh, yeah, Ben was going to have his hands very full with that little girl.

"Well, we should get home," said Bella, placing her hand on Alex's back.

"Yeah, us too," I said, ushering Anthony after her.

We headed back out to the parking lot and our cars. We got the boys loaded into their booster seats and I turned back to Bella. She shut Alex's door and looked over the hood of her car at me.

"I'll pick you guys up at six?" I asked.

"Sounds good," smiled Bella. "Do I need to bring anything?"

"No, you and Alex being there will be enough to make them all very happy," I said, smiling at her.

"Ok, well, I'll see you later," laughed Bella.

"Later," I smiled.

I climbed into my car as Bella climbed into hers. She pulled out of the parking spot and headed one way while I pulled out and headed in the opposite direction. Ten minutes later, I pulled my car up in front of our house. Anthony and I headed inside. He started to head upstairs when he stopped and looked back at me.

"Dad?"

"What?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Did you woo her?" he asked. I smiled as I shook my head.

"Yes, I did," I chuckled.

"So she's your girlfriend now?" asked Anthony.

"Yep," I said, nodding my head at him. I seriously have a problem with nodding my head all the time. Anthony's face broke out into a huge smile.

"It's about time," he laughed.

"Sorry, I guess it takes me awhile to figure things out," I said.

"No kidding," snorted Anthony, heading up the stairs. "I'm only five and even I knew you liked her."

**Thank you for all the reviews. I was once again completely blown away by the sheer number of reviews I received over the last chapter; 112! Again, I say wow and thank you again. Coming up next: dinner with the family!**


	19. Chapter 19

Two hours later, Anthony and I climbed back into our car and headed over to Bella's house to pick up her and Alex. Anthony had been very excited to hear that both Bella and Alex were coming to dinner at his Nana and Papa's house. I only hoped that my crazy family would actually act normal for once. I pulled the car up into Bella's driveway but before I could climb out of the car, her front door was pulled open and Alex came running out. A moment later, Bella came rushing out.

"Alexander, don't you have any patience," scolded Bella, following him over to the car as I climbed out. She rolled her eyes as she looked at me. "He's excited."

"I could tell," I laughed, opening the car door for her. Alex had already climbed into the backseat next to Anthony and had already pulled on his seatbelt.

"Thanks," murmured Bella, climbing in. Yes, I looked at her ass. I truly was a pervert.

"You're welcome," I said, huskily. What can I say? She had a very nice ass.

I closed the door and took a deep breath as I ran back around to my side of the car. I climbed in behind the wheel and took off toward my parent's house. The boys told us all about their day at school during the twenty minutes drive. Apparently, several girls had been looking at Anna's flower and talking about how pretty it was. At recess the girls started chasing all the boys so they could talk them into buying flowers for them. It was both cute and a little disturbing at how young they were getting into this.

I pulled my car up in front of the large white house I had grown up in and climbed out of the driver's seat. As soon as Bella and I had the boys out of the car, they took off up the front porch and into the house. I shared a look with Bella as I slipped my hand into hers and led her up the porch.

As soon as we stepped into the house, everyone stopped talking and looked over at us. Esme was kneeling down in front of Anthony and Alex. A huge smile sprang up on her face when she looked from me to Bella. Rose and Alice were sitting on one of the couches with Ivy perched up between them. They were both grinning huge, smirk-like smiles that made me want to roll my eyes but I resisted the urge and remind myself that they were just happy for me and Bella.

Emmett and Jasper were standing in front of the television with the remote in Emmett's hand and equally annoying smiles on both of their faces. Carlisle came waltzing out of the kitchen and looked around as everyone just stared at us like I just told them that I was a hundred year old vampire who sparkles in the sunlight. It wasn't until he looked over at me and Bella that he seemed to understand why everyone was gawking at us.

"Are you ready to go yet?" I asked Bella, looking down at her with a smile on my face. She bit her lip as she struggled not to completely lose it and burst out laughing.

"No," she sputtered. "They have the boys trapped in here. We can't leave them behind. It's like a code of honor thing."

"Foiled again," I snorted, looking back at my family, who were all still staring at us. "Guys, stop staring at us. It's creepy."

"Oh, sorry," muttered Carlisle, clearing his throat. "Bella, it's nice to see you again."

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen," said Bella, politely. "It's nice to see you, too."

"Please call me Carlisle, Bella," smiled my father. He came over and shut the door behind us. "My son seems to have forgotten how to work doors all of the sudden."

"I hear they can be kind of tricky," laughed Bella, letting my father hook his arm through her free one and pull her over to where the others were still standing and watching her, watching us.

It was then that I realized why they were staring. I was holding her hand. Part of me felt the urge to let her hand go and tell them all to grow up while the other part, the part that I was listening to, told me to ignore the smug bastards and enjoy the feeling of her soft hand in mine. Bella seemed to think the same as me as she looked around at all of them before she looked back at me.

"Their eyes follow you when you move," she whispered loudly. I burst out laughing while the others started laughing slowing.

"You get used to it," I snorted. I slipped my hand out of hers only to move it to the small over her back. "Would you like to sit?"

"Um," she said, looking back at Esme. "Did you need any help with dinner?"

"What?" asked Esme, shaking her head. "Oh, no, dear, I have everything under control."

"Are you sure?" asked Bella. "I don't mind helping."

"No, I'm sure," smiled Esme. "I'm just heating things up at this point anyway. Sit, sit. Be comfortable."

"Ok," said Bella.

I lead Bella around the couches and sat down next to her, keeping my arm around her shoulders. Slowly everyone moved around the couches and sat down. Emmett, of course, being the last one. Alex and Anthony looked at all of them and shrugged their shoulders before they headed off to the playroom to play with Elliott.

"So, Carlisle, what hospital do you work at?" asked Bella, looking over at my father and ending the awkward silence that had once again surrounded us.

"I work at Seattle Children's hospital," said Carlisle, smiling at her.

"Do you enjoy working with children?" she asked, cocking her head toward him.

"Yes, I do. They aren't nearly as demanding as adults are," he said, laughing. Bella laughed with him.

"Oh, I don't know about that," giggled Bella. "Alex can be plenty demanding. Just this morning he was dragging me out of bed before the sun had even risen. I've never seen him that excited to go anywhere. Well, except to Anthony's house."

"What made this morning different?" asked Esme.

"Oh, well, it would seem that Alex has a little crush on Anna," explained Bella. "He insisted on buying her a flower so he could ask her to be his girlfriend."

"Oh, how sweet," murmured Esme. Bella looked over at me and smiled. I winked at her, causing her to blush. I swear I heard Alice, Rose, and Esme all whisper "Aw" under their breathes.

"All the girls in our class were quite jealous of her," laughed Alice, shifting Ivy on her lap. "I finally had to put the daisy on my desk just to keep them from tearing it up."

"Oh, I hope it didn't cause any problems," fretted Bella, looking at my sister.

"Of course it didn't," snorted Alice.

"That's good then," smiled Bella, leaning back against me.

"So are you two like an item now or what?" asked Emmett. Rose reached over and popped him on the back of the head. "Hey, what was that for?"

"Because it's none of your business," hissed Rose, rolling her eyes.

"Like you weren't wondering the same thing," muttered Emmett.

"You just don't blurt it out like that," sighed Rose. "Have some class about it, Em."

"I'm going to go check on the boys," murmured Bella, looking up at me. "Have fun dealing with the sharks."

"Gee, thanks," I muttered.

Bella laughed softly as she stood up and headed down the hallway to the playroom. I would have gone with her but I didn't want to seem so pathetic that I couldn't even bare to be away from her for a few minutes, even if that was true, and I knew my family would never let it happen. I could feel the vultures already circling over head. Just as I expected as soon as Bella was out of the room, they all turned and looked at me.

"Ok, I'm just going to say this once," I said. "Yes, Bella and I are together. Before you start singing hallelujah, remember that there are two little boys involved in this and we have to make sure that they always come first."

"Dude, when did you get the balls to ask her out?" asked Emmett. I rolled my eyes at the man.

"We went on our first date yesterday," I muttered. I swear I heard everyone smile. "Just don't make a big deal out of this ok? It's been a big step for both of us and it wasn't an easy step to take."

"But it was a step nonetheless, darling boy," smiled Esme, standing up. She came around to the back of the couch and kissed the top of my head. "That is something. They'll be good for you and Anthony, Edward. Just like you and that sweet boy will be good for them."

"Thanks, Mom." I whispered.

Esme headed into the kitchen to check on dinner. Everyone was smiling all goofy like so I stood up and scurried out of the room. I headed down to the playroom and stopped in the doorway to the playroom. Bella was sitting in the middle of the room with Alex, Anthony, and Elliott in her lap while she told them a story.

"…When the wolf came out of the woods, he saw that everyone was waiting for him. They started to move toward him with their pitch forks. Suddenly, a little boys yelled, "No." They all stopped and looked back at the little boy. He slowly made his way through the villagers until he was standing right next to the wolf. He reached over and placed his hand on the wolf's head causing everyone to gasp! He looked around at all of them and said, "There is nothing to be afraid of. He won't hurt you. He's a nice wolf." One by one the other children from the village came out of the crowd and started petting the wolf. From that moment on, they were no longer afraid of the wolves," said Bella, speaking softly.

"That was a good story, Bella," said Elliott.

"Thank you, sweetheart," smiled Bella.

"Momma, can we have a pet wolf?" asked Alex.

"Oh, we can't take the wolves out of the forest, Honey. Their momma and daddies would be so sad," said Bella.

"She's really good with them," whispered my father. I looked back and saw him standing behind me. "She's good for you too but you already know that."

"I do," I murmured, leaning against the wall next to him. "But I'm still scared out of my mind."

"I know," said Carlisle, placing his hand on my shoulder. "It will be easier when you admit it to yourself."

"Admit what to myself?" I asked.

"I'm not going to tell you," smirked Carlisle. "Tell them dinner's ready."

"Dad," I said as he turned and headed back down the hallway, laughing his head off. Admit what to myself? I shook my head and stepped back over to the playroom door. "Knock knock."

"Hey," smiled Bella from her position on the floor. "You made it out alive, I see."

"No thanks to you," I scoffed.

"Hey, when we have to deal with my father, I'll let you hide while I deal with him, ok?" she asked, smiling at me.

"Deal," I laughed. "Dinner is ready so now you have to deal with them."

Bella groaned while the boys stood up and ran out of the room. She stood up and came over to me. I slipped my arm around her waist and pressed my lips down onto hers. Bella reached up and slipped an arm around the back of my neck, deepening the kiss. A moment later, we pulled away and took a deep breath. I kept my arm around her waist as I headed down the hallway and into the dining room.

"It's about time," snorted Emmett. Everyone was already seated around the table. Alex and Anthony were sitting in-between my parents and looking very happy about it to. "We thought maybe you got lost."

"They were probably kissing again," said Anthony. My face heated up as everyone looked over at me and Bella. "Now, that she's his girlfriend he can kiss her all he wants."

"Oh, really?" asked Esme, helping Alex fix his plate. "Do you want green beans?"

"Yes, Nana," he whispered. Esme's smile grew as soon as he called her that. She dished out a few green beans onto his plate. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, sweet boy," said my mother. "Are you boys ready for your first game?"

"Yes, ma'am," smiled Alex, looking up at her. "My Grandpa is coming to watch me and Anthony play. He said he can't wait to see us rule the field."

"Oh, that's great, Alex," laughed Carlisle. "Where does your grandpa live?"

"He lives in Forks," explained Alex. "He's in charge of the police department but Momma says that he doesn't do anything other than eat donuts and go fishing."

"Forks doesn't have a lot of crime," said Bella.

"Yeah, Grandpa says that if it wasn't for him the whole town would fall apart," exclaimed Alex, throwing his hands in the air. It was really cute to watch.

"Well, he sounds like quite the grandpa," laughed Carlisle. "I can't wait to meet him."

"Alex, eat," said Bella, softly.

"Yes, ma'am," murmured Alex, picking up his fork.

Anthony and Elliott were already almost done with their plates. Ivy was sitting in Jasper's lap, who was sitting on the other side of Bella. Ivy twisted in his arms and reached for Bella. Jasper tried to get her to turn back around but she started fussing so Bella reached out and pulled the baby into her arms, cradling her to her chest before she started eating again.

"You don't have to hold her," muttered Jasper, reaching for her.

"Don't you dare," smiled Bella. "Enjoy your two handed meal. I've got her."

"Thanks, Bella," said Jasper. "I still haven't figured out how to eat and hold her at the same time."

"I've had years of practice," teased Bella.

Everyone laughed with her as we finished our meals. As soon as the boys were done, the three of them scurried back down to the playroom. Ivy ended up falling asleep on Bella's shoulder. She excused herself and took Ivy into the living room and laid her in the playpen. I had never seen Ivy take to anyone, other than family, like she has to Bella.

"I like her," whispered Jasper, leaning over to me once Bella left the room. "Don't blow it."

"I'll try not to," I muttered.

Bella insisted on helping Esme, Alice, and Rose do the dishes since it was their turn. We all told her that she didn't need to but she just smiled and insisted that she helps. I followed my brother, father, and Jasper into the living room. We could hear the women in the kitchen laughing as they washed the dishes. I expected to receive the third degree by them but none of them said anything. We just sat on the couch and watched the news.

"Edward, we should go," said Bella. "It's getting late."

"Ok, I'll go get the boys," I said, standing up. I headed down to the playroom. All three boys were laying up on the couch, fast asleep. I smiled to myself as I headed back out to the living room. "They're asleep."

"Ok," said Bella.

Bella and I headed back down to the playroom and lifted our sleeping children into our arms. Anthony wrapped his arms and legs around me while Alex did the same to Bella. We headed back out to the living room and whispered our goodnights to everyone. Bella and I got the boys loaded up in the car and I headed back to her house.

"Dinner was nice," said Bella, softly. "Not nearly as awkward as it was the first time."

"They're learning," I smiled. "Maybe one day, they will be normal."

"I wouldn't count on it," snorted Bella.

I pulled up in front of her house and climbed out of the car. She picked Alex up and I walked the two of them to the door and helped her unlock her front door. I kissed her forehead and then Alex's head before she headed inside. I climbed back into my car and drove me and Anthony back home. Once we were there, I carried him up to his room and tucked him into bed. I kissed his forehead before heading down to my room. I took a shower and changed into my pajamas. I climbed into bed, flicked off the light, and fell sleep dreaming about Bella.

**Thank you for all the reviews! You all continue to amaze me with all the great reviews. See, dinner wasn't too bad. **


	20. Chapter 20

**BPOV**

"When is Grandpa going to be here?" whined Alex, loudly.

I sighed as I finished washing the last of the breakfast dishes and dried my hands. He was too busy pacing back and forth in the living room to help like he normally would. I'm not sure if he was more excited about my father coming to watch him play in his first soccer game or more excited about this being his first game. Maybe it was both. I walked into the living room and put my hands on his shoulders just as he was fixing to turn and head in the other direction.

"Calm down, Alex," I said. "Grandpa will be here in a few minutes."

"We are going to be late," grumbled Alex, resuming his pacing. "Edward said to be there at ten and it's almost ten."

"It's only nine-fifteen," I snorted. "We have plenty of time."

"Whatever," muttered Alex.

I left Alex to his pacing and sat down on the couch. I pulled his soccer bag over and went through it to make sure he had everything he was going to need. We were going straight from his game to Anna's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. Angela and Ben were brave people for hosting a birthday party there on a Saturday. I'll admit to being a little nervous about Alex going. There were going to be a lot of people there and it was going to be hard for me to keep my eye on him.

I had just dropped an extra bottle of water in Alex's red and blue bag when the doorbell rang. Alex threw up his hands and muttered an irritated "Finally" as he went over and pulled the door open. Charlie was leaning against the door frame with a huge smile on his face. Of course, the first thing I saw was the bandage wrapped around his right hand.

"What did you do this time?" I asked, pulling my father's hand into mine.

"I might have burned myself while trying to make myself some dinner," muttered Charlie. I rolled my eyes as I unwrapped the bandage. I knew my father wouldn't have gone to the emergency room for this.

"It looks horrible," I sighed. The burn was red and swollen. I was pretty sure he was getting an infection. "Why didn't you go to the hospital?"

"I didn't need to," he said, shrugging his shoulders. I looked down at my son.

"Will you go get me the first aid kit from the bathroom, please?" I asked.

"Ok," grumbled Alex, heading upstairs. I pulled Charlie into the house and straight into the kitchen.

"We've been through this, Dad," I said. "When you burn yourself, you have to go to the ER."

"I'm fine," muttered Charlie.

"You are not fine," I snapped, holding his hand up to his face. "It's infected."

"Is not," muttered Charlie.

"Here you go, Momma," said Alex, handing me the first aid kit.

"Thank you, honey," I smiled. "Go get your bag so we can leave as soon as I get this taken care of."

"Yes, ma'am," said Alex. He looked over at Charlie. "Really, Grandpa. What were you thinking?"

"I don't know, Alex," muttered Charlie.

Alex rolled his eyes as he headed into the living room. I cleaned Charlie's hand and put on a new bandage. He muttered a thanks and followed me and Alex out to the car. Alex helped Charlie buckle his seatbelt before climbing into his booster seat and buckling himself in. I started the car and headed down to the park where they were playing their first game.

Twenty minutes later, I pulled my car up behind Edward's car. I climbed out and unbuckled Alex's seatbelt for him. He grabbed his bag, jumped out of the car, and took off running toward the field where Anthony and Edward were kicking the ball back and forth. Edward turned as Alex jumped into his arms and hugged him. Edward set Alex down on the ground and looked over at me. He waved at me and I felt my face turn red as I waved back. I could feel my father's eyes boring into me.

"So, we should probably find a place to sit," I suggested, ignoring my father as I moved to the back of my car and pulled out the two new camping chairs I had bought. Edward told me they would be more comfortable than sitting on the ground.

"Don't think you can distract me that easy, honey," smirked Charlie, taking one of the chairs from me. I bit my lip as I looked up at him.

"I don't know what you are talking about," I said, innocently.

"Yeah, right," scoffed Charlie.

I pursed my lips together and walked away from him, leaving him standing there laughing at me. He was such a jerk sometimes. Good thing I loved him. I went over and found a spot on the side of the field where I would be able to see everything. Edward came running over just as Charlie caught up with me.

"Edward, how's it going?" asked Charlie, clapping him on the shoulder with this wounded hand. "Damn it, that hurt."

"Dad, there are kids here," I hissed, glaring at him.

"Oh, sorry," he muttered.

"What did you do to your hand, Charlie?" asked Edward.

"Nothing," he muttered. "So the boys ready for the game?"

"I think so," smiled Edward, nodding his head. He looked over at me and his smiled grew. Something my father noticed, too. "I guess I'll see you afterwards."

"Ok," I said, blushing. "Tell Anthony I said to have fun."

"I will," laughed Edward.

He smiled at me one more time before he turned and ran back over to where Emmett, Jasper, Anthony, Alex, Anna, and the rest of the team were waiting. I turned, once again ignoring the smirk that sat on my father's face, and unfolded my chair.

"Hey, Bella," giggled Alice. I looked up at she came up to us with Ivy in one arm and a chair in her other. "Charlie, what did you do to your hand?"

"Nothing," he grumbled. "Who's this little one?"

"This is Alice's daughter, Ivy," I smiled, pulling the baby into my arms as she reached for me. "Isn't she adorable?"

"She's a beauty that's for sure," chuckled Charlie, reaching over and grabbing her hand. Ivy looked at him for a moment before she reached for him. "Oh, look at that. She has good taste already," he smirked, pulling the raven haired baby out of my arms. "Such a smart girl."

"Whatever," I snorted.

"Good morning, Bella," smiled Esme as she and Carlisle joined us. She looked from me to Charlie and back at me. "Is this the Grandpa?"

"Why do people keep asking you that?" grumbled Charlie. "Have you been talking about me behind my back again?"

"No, Dad, I say everything about you to your face," I smirked. "Alex was telling them about you at dinner the other night. This is Carlisle and Esme Cullen, Anthony's grandparents. Carlisle, Esme, this is my father, Charlie."

"It's nice to meet you both," smiled Charlie, waving his injured hand at them.

"You too, Charlie," said Esme. "What did you do to your hand?"

"Nothing," muttered Charlie.

"He burned it," I said, glaring at him. "Did he go to the doctor? No, because he is stubborn."

"Am not," grunted Charlie, handing Ivy back to Alice. He turned his gaze on me. "So when was this dinner with Carlisle and Esme, Bella?"

"The game is about to start," I muttered, sitting down.

"Bella," said Charlie, taking the seat next to me. I sighed and looked over at him. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

"No," I said, smiling at him. "I don't need to tell you anything but since I can feel Alice vibrating with excitement-"

"Am not," scoffed Alice. I looked over at her. She had a huge smile on her face. "Ok, so maybe I am but it's just so great, Bella."

"What's great?" whined Charlie. "Everyone here knows the secret but me."

"Are you whining?" I asked. "You know, Alex has been whining a lot lately. I wonder who he's been learning that from? Oh, and we can't forget all the pouting that someone has been teaching him. Or the begging. I almost forgot about the begging."

"Don't know what you are talking about, Bella," muttered Charlie. I could hear Esme, Carlisle and Alice all laughing around us.

"Hey, Bella," said Angela and Kate as they joined us. "I hear you and Edward went on a date last week. What did you guys do?"

With those few words, I felt my father look at me. I cleared my throat and kept my eyes off of his as I answered her. "We went down to the pier and hung out."

"Emmett told us that you two are seeing each other now," smiled Kate. "Is that true?"

"Oh, look the game is starting," said Esme, shooting me a look.

I gave her what I hoped would be a thankful smile before turning to the field. Now, I didn't know much about soccer other than you can't use your hands and you do a lot of running. The game started by the boys' team moving the ball up the field toward the goal that would earn them a point. Anthony was kicking the ball down the field. He turned and kicked it over to Alex, who turned and kicked it to Elliott. He took the ball down the field a little ways before the other team stripped it away.

The game went back and forth like this for most of the first half. Just before the break, Anthony took the ball down the field and scored the first goal of the game. Alex ran up to him and gave him a high-five as all the parents on our side of the field started cheering for him.

"WAY TO GO, ANTHONY!" I screamed, jumping up and down for him.

He looked over at me with the biggest smile on his face. He waved before he ran over to Edward, who pulled him into a big hug. Since they were almost at the half, I headed over to my car to grab the snacks I had made for them. I had just shut the back of my car when I saw Charlie leaning against the side of my car with a smirk planted on his face.

"Ok, let's hear it," I sighed, setting the small cooler down on the ground and folding my arms in front of my chest.

"When were you going to tell me about you and Edward?" he asked.

"I don't know," I mumbled. "It's new."

"You like him a lot, don't you?" asked Charlie.

"Yes, I do and Anthony, too," I said, quietly as I leaned up against the car next to him. "Alex loves him, Dad."

"But?" asked Charlie. I smiled at him.

"But I'm scared, too," I admitted. "I don't know how to date anyone, Dad."

"Just take it one step at a time and listened to your heart, honey," smiled my father. "If it means anything at all, I'm happy for you. You've been alone for a long time. It's nice to see you smile more."

"I like it, too," I laughed, picking up the cooler.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked as we headed back to the field.

"Sure," I said.

"Is Edward's family always so…" he trailed off as he struggled to find the right word.

"In your face?" I asked.

"Exactly," he sighed.

"Yes, but you get used to it," I laughed. "Trust me, this is calm for them."

"Oh lord," muttered Charlie. "Help us all."

I laughed as we joined the others back at our seats. The first half ended and I took my cooler over to the team. I passed out the homemade cookies I had made for them and gave each of them a juice box. Emmett, Jasper, Ben, and Garrett had gone to where their wives were, leaving Edward alone with the kids.

"Bella, sit by me," urged Anthony, pulling me over to where Edward and Alex were sitting. I sat down on the ground next to them.

"Here's a cookie for the coach," I smiled, handing Edward a cookie.

"Thank you," he said, taking it. "Is my family behaving over there?"

"For the most part," I laughed, looking at them. Carlisle was looking at Charlie's hand and shaking his head. Charlie had a frown on his face. "I think your dad is lecturing mine on why you go to the hospital when you hurt yourself."

"Probably," chuckled Edward.

"Mom, did you see me kicking the ball?" asked Alex, bouncing up and down.

"I did," I laughed. "You did so great! You too, Anthony. That was an awesome goal."

"Thanks, Bella," smiled Anthony. His face was covered in chocolate.

"Anthony, you got chocolate all over your face," chuckled Edward, reaching over and wiping his face off.

"Dad, stop," grumbled Anthony, pulling away from Edward. He climbed over into my lap. "Protect me, Bella."

"I've got you, Anthony," I laughed, wrapping my arms around him.

"Give me the boy," growled Edward, crawling toward us. Alex laughed as he scrambled to his feet and jumped on Edward's back.

"Give us the boy and nobody gets hurts," laughed Alex.

"Never," I giggled, scrambling to my feet and running with Anthony wrapped around my body, laughing his head off.

"Gotcha," yelled Edward, throwing his arms around the two of us. He pulled us to the ground. Alex was still perched up on his back, laughing almost as hard as Anthony and I were.

"Yo, Eddie," yelled Emmett. Edward groaned and looked back over to where the rest of his team were. "Stop playing with your girl and let's get this game going."

"I'll be right there," yelled Edward. He looked back at me and the boys, who were laying on the ground next to me. "Time for more soccer fun."

"Yay!" cheered Alex and Anthony, scrambling to their feet and running back to the rest of their team.

Edward stood up and pulled me back to my feet. He kept my hand in his as we joined them. I collected all the trash and my cooler and headed back over to where Charlie was sitting with Esme, Carlisle, Rose, Alice, Angela, and Kate. They all smiled as I sat down in my seat. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at them and went back to watching the game, which had just resumed play.

"Bella?" whispered Charlie. I ignored him. "Bella?"

"What?" I muttered, looking over at him.

"It looks good on you," he whispered.

"What does?" I asked, quietly.

"Don't tell her, Charlie," snorted Carlisle. I looked over at him. "Make her figure it out. That's what I am doing to Edward. It's kind of funny to watch."

"What are you talking about?" I huffed.

"Not telling," chortled Carlisle. Everyone else was laughing with them. It was very annoying. "You'll see it soon enough. You both will."

"Oh, Carlisle," laughed Charlie. I looked over at him. He had his head thrown back as he laughed hysterically. "I like you. You're ballsy."

"You two are acting like a couple of dorks," I muttered, standing up.

I left them all sitting there laughing, which only made them all laugh harder at me. I wasn't sure what the hell Charlie or Carlisle was talking about. Knowing my father, it could be just about anything. From what I knew of Carlisle, he wasn't much different. I walked down the sidelines as I watched Alex, kicking the ball. He stopped and passed it over to Anna, who smiled as she took it to the other side. She bypassed two defenders before she reared back and kicked the ball into the net.

"GO ANNA!" I cheered, jumping up and down for her.

Alex went over and hugged her. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ben snap his head over to them. It may have been my imagination but it looked like he narrowed his eyes at my son. Edward laughed and patted him on the shoulder. Ben seemed to relax a little as the kids came back over to them.

The rest of the game went by quickly. The other team scored a goal just before the game ended, giving us the win with the score of two to one. Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Ben, and Garrett had the kids line up and tell the other team that they did a good job. They huddled our team together in a tight circle. I heard them asking them if they had fun, which all the kids screamed yes. All the coaches laughed and said that was what was important today. They told all the kids they were proud of them and reminded them about practice on Tuesday before they dismissed them.

"Mom, did you see Anna score that goal?" asked Alex, bouncing over to me. He jumped into my arms and wrapped his legs around my waist.

"I sure did," I said, smiling as Edward and Anthony joined us. "That was a good pass you made. I'm so proud of you."

"Me too?" asked Anthony. I set Alex down on the ground and squatted down in front of Anthony.

"Yes, sweetheart," I smiled, pulling him in for a hug. "I'm very proud of you too."

"There are my boys," bellowed Charlie.

"Grandpa!" yelled Alex and Anthony, jumping into my father's arms. He bit back his groan, even if he did stumble back a couple of steps.

"You boys did so good," said Charlie. "I'm real glad I got to see you two play."

"Can you come to the party with us?" asked Alex, jousting out his bottom lip. Charlie groaned and looked over at me. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry, squirt, but I've gotta work this afternoon," said Charlie, setting the boys down. "The town would fall apart without me."

"Yeah, nobody there to eat all those donuts," I smirked. Charlie glared at me and I smiled at him.

"I do more than eat donuts, Bella," muttered Charlie.

"Yeah, Mom," scoffed Alex. "He also fishes."

"You're right, Alex," I smiled while Charlie shook his head.

"Ok, boys, I've gotta go," sighed my father, hugging them both. "I'm real proud of you both."

"Thanks, Grandpa," they muttered.

I helped Charlie take our chairs and my cooler back to my car. I hugged him and handed him my keys. He looked up at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Take my car back to my house," I said. "Alex and I are riding with Edward to Anna's birthday party. Just lock the keys in the car. I have my extra key."

"Ok," smiled Charlie. He nodded his head as he looked back at the boys and Edward. "They're good for you, kiddo."

"I know," I muttered. "Thanks for coming and please keep your hand clean. It looks really bad."

"I will," grumbled Charlie, heading to the drivers side of my car. "Love you."

"Love you."

Charlie climbed in and drove away. I felt Edward come up behind me and wrap his arms around me from behind. He lowered his lips down and pressed them against my cheek. I smiled as I placed my hands on top of his.

"Are you ready to head over to the party?" asked Edward.

"Yep," I said, turning in his arms. I slipped my arms through his and wrapped them around his waist. "Did you have fun today?"

"I did," smiled Edward. "I love watching them play. They don't care about winning and losing at this age. It's all about having fun. Did you enjoy your first soccer game?"

"I did," I laughed. "Even with my father smirking at me the whole time and your family giggling every time they looked at me."

"I'm sorry," sighed Edward. "I'll tell them to stop."

"Don't," I smiled. "It's fine."

"Dad, can we go now?" grumbled Anthony. Edward gave me a look before he turned and faced the boy. He and Alex were standing next to the car, looking bored.

"Get into the car and buckle up," ordered Edward.

The two of them climbed into the backseat and pulled on their seats belts. Edward opened my door for me and I slid into the car. He shut the door behind me and ran around to his side of the car. He climbed in and we headed off to Chuck E. Cheese.

Ten minutes later, he pulled the car up next to Emmett and Rose's SUV. The four of us climbed out. Edward and I grabbed the gifts we had picked up for Anna and followed the boys inside. The woman at the podium stamped our hands and directed us to where the party room was. We walked in and I froze.

"Bella?" gasped Lauren Mallory.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I am having so much fun with this story. I hope you all are enjoying it as much as I am.**


	21. Chapter 21

I wasn't sure what to do in this moment. The one person I was not prepared to see today was standing less than five feet away from me. Lauren still looked like she did six years ago, still as beautiful. She had long blond hair that hung softly down her back and wide blue eyes. Just like Brody's. I gripped Alex's shoulders and pulled him back into me as close as I could. Lauren's eyes traveled down to my son and widen.

"Bella," said Lauren, again as she looked up at me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, shortly.

"Bella, who is that?" asked Edward, slipping his arm around my waist. An action that did not go unnoticed by Lauren, whose eyes narrowed at him.

"That's Lauren," I muttered, looking up at him. His eyes widen and he looked from me to her and back to me.

"Oh," he whispered, uncomfortable. His arm immediately fell from my body. I looked back over at Lauren.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, again.

"Tyler works with Ben," explained Lauren, shifting her eyes down at my son. "We came for Anna's party. Bella-"

"Don't," I muttered, tightening my arms on Alex.

"Momma, who's that?" asked Alex, pointing at her. Lauren looked from him to me. There was a look of pleading in her eyes.

"Her name is Lauren," I said. My voice shook as I tried to keep my emotions in check. "Her husband works with Anna's dad."

"Oh," said Alex, pulling out of my arms. I reached for him but he stepped up in front of her. "I'm Alex."

"It's very nice to meet you, Alex," said Lauren. Her lip was trembling. She raised her hand towards him like she wanted to take his hand or stroke his cheek, but then pulled it back. She looked up at me. I could feel the tears building in my eyes.

"Alex, why don't you, me, and Anthony take Anna's presents over to her?" suggested Edward, placing his hand on my back.

"Ok," said Alex, taking the gift from me.

Edward placed his hands on the boys backs and led them across the room to where Anna was. Edward's family was watching me and Lauren standing there in the doorway, just staring at each other. I turned and walked out of the room as I felt the tears start to fall down my face. I wrapped my arms around my body as I ran outside.

"Bella, please," begged Lauren, following me out. I stopped and looked back at her. "I'm so sorry."

"I've heard it before," I cried. "How many times did he ask you to stop drinking? Why that night, Lauren?"

"I don't know," she sobbed, placing her hand on her small baby bump. "I've asked myself that question every day and I don't know."

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" I screamed. She flinched back. I took a deep breath. "You were my best friend, Lauren. The only other person that I trusted with everything. He begged you to stop drinking so many times. Why wouldn't you stop for him?"

"I don't know," she cried. "I wish I did, Bella."

"Why that night?" I asked, shaking my head. "Why the night before the wedding?"

"Because I was jealous," she yelled. "You and Brody were getting everything and leaving me behind."

"We weren't leaving you behind," I said. "We would never have done that."

"Yes, you were," she said, sadly. "Brody was the only family I had left, Bella. He told me that after the wedding, I wasn't welcomed in your life anymore if I didn't straighten my ass out. I was so mad at him because he was taking my best friend from me."

"He worried so much about you," I muttered, shaking my head. "It hurt him to see you drinking yourself into a stupor like they did."

"I know it did but I didn't care," she said, leaning against the wall. "I've had live with that guilt for six years."

"Yeah, well, I've been raising his son all on my own," I muttered, harshly.

"That was stupid for me to say," whispered Lauren. "I'm sorry."

For a moment neither Lauren nor I said anything. I leaned against the pillar across from her with my arms fold across my chest. The wind blew across me and I swore I heard Brody's voice. _She's hurt enough. Forgive her. _I brought my hand to my mouth as I choked on my sob. He was right. I knew he was right. I had held onto my anger at her for so long. But how do I let it go?

"He's so handsome," whispered Lauren. I snapped my eyes up to her. "Alex, I mean. He looks just like Brody."

"Acts like him, too," I cried. "He's an amazing little boy. So sweet and loving."

"I could tell," murmured Lauren.

"Lauren, I…" I shook my head and took a deep breath. "I just need some time. I'm not saying that you can't ever see him again. I…I just need some time to deal with this."

"Ok," she said, quickly. "I can give you some time. I just…I really missed you, Bella."

"Me too," I murmured as the front door to Chuck E. Cheese opened. Lauren and I looked over to see a tall, dark haired man standing there.

"Lauren, you ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said. "I'll be back inside in a minute."

"Ok," he said, looking from her to me. He turned and headed inside. I looked over at Lauren.

"That was Tyler," she explained.

"Oh," I whispered.

"He's a really great guy," said Lauren. "He, um, he helped me get sober and…Well, I couldn't have done it without him."

"That's great," I said, softly. "Well, I should get back in there before Alex thinks I've left him or something."

Lauren followed me back inside the building without saying anything else. When we walked into the room, Edward and Tyler both looked up at us. I wrapped my arms around my chest as I went over to Alex. He was sitting next to Anna, who was smiling. I leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of his head. Lauren looked back at me before she went over to Tyler and slipped her hand into his.

"Ty, we should go," said Lauren.

"Babe, what is going on?" asked Tyler, looking back at me before looking down at her.

"That's Bella," whispered Lauren. Tyler snapped his eyes over to me.

"Ok," said Tyler. He turned and looked back at Ben. "I'll see you at work on Monday."

"Yeah, ok," said Ben, looking around at us.

"Happy birthday, Anna," said Tyler, smiling at the dark haired little girl.

"Thank you, Tyler," giggled Anna.

Lauren looked back over at me before she and Tyler walked out of the room, leaving everyone watching them as they went. I blinked back my tears and took a deep breath as I took the seat next to Edward. He didn't say anything as he leaned over and pressed his lips to the side of my head. I knew he understood just how hard that moment had been.

"Ok, well, should we open some presents?" asked Ben, breaking the moment of silence.

"YES!" squealed Anna.

As Anna started opening her presents, I sat there in the chair next to my son and ran my fingers through his hair. I knew I was going to have to let him have her in his life. She was the only link he had to his father and it would be selfish of me to keep her away from him. It was just so hard to let her close to him. Would he hate me for keeping her from him? The thought of that alone was enough to bring tears back into my eyes.

"Are you ok?" asked Edward, leaning over so I was the only one to hear him.

"I don't know," I whispered, honestly. "I'm so confused. I wasn't prepared for her."

"Do I need to take you home?" asked Edward, tightening the arm he had wrapped around my waist. I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I'm fine," I murmured, letting my eyes flitter to where Alex, Anthony, Anna, Elliott, Mattie, and Sadie were eating a slice of Barbie birthday cake. "Look at how much fun they are having."

"They are having fun," said Edward, pressing his lips to the side of my head. I could feel his lips curve up into a smile as Anthony started laughing at something Alex said. "Apparently, Alex is funny."

"I've always thought so," I said, giggling. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked. I looked over at him.

"For just being here," I said, quietly. "For taking care of my son while talked to her."

"You're welcome," he murmured, leaning his forehead onto mine. "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked, placing my hand on his knee.

"For letting me," he whispered. "For trusting me enough to let me take care of him while you took care of yourself."

"Edward," I whispered, feeling my eyes fill up with tears.

"I know," he murmured, bringing his hand up and cupping my face. "I know, sweetheart."

I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the moment of letting him in, letting him take his place in my heart. I knew without a doubt that he owned every inch of my heart and then some. Edward slid his finger over and caught the tear as it fell from my lashed and trickled down my face. How had I managed to find someone like him?

"Mom, can we go play some games now?" asked Alex, breaking us out of private moment. I took a shaky breath as I looked over at him. He and Anthony were standing in front of us with huge smiles on their faces.

"Sure," I said, quietly. "Let's go get you some tokens."

"Emmett will take them. He owes you," said Esme, stepping up behind the boys. She slipped them each a ten dollar bill. "Make sure he win you lots of tickets, my sweet boys."

"Ok, Nana," they both called.

Alex and Anthony grabbed Emmett's hands and pulled him out of the party room. I laughed as Emmett looked back at us with a look of sheer terror on his face. Serves him right for all the crap he had done since I had met him.

"I'll go help him," said Edward, laughing. "Who knows what he might have them do."

"Thanks," I said, smiling.

Edward placed a light kiss on my lips before he followed his brother out of the room. Jasper, Garrett, Carlisle, and Ben followed him out, leaving just us women. I smiled and looked back at Esme, who was watching us with her own smile. I should have felt embarrassed about Edward's show of affection in front of his mother, but I didn't.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said, still smiling at me. "I really enjoyed getting to know your father this morning. He's quite the character."

"Yes, he is." I laughed and shook my head. "He's an amazing man. I was lucky to grow up with him."

"Bella?" asked Angela. I looked over at her. She came over and sat in Edward's empty seat. "Are you ok? I mean, I don't know Lauren very well but if she did something or said something-"

"Lauren is Alex's aunt," I said, quietly. "It's a long story that I don't really want to get into but I hadn't seen her since his father's funeral. Alex hadn't met her until today."

"If I had know," muttered Angela, shaking her head.

"You couldn't have know," I said.

"Still-"

"I'm going to go find Edward and the boys." I stood up hastily. "Excuse me."

I turned and rushed out of the room, leaving Esme, Alice, Rose, Kate, Angela, and Jessica sitting there. Maybe I was overreacting but I was tired of my life being on the front burner of conversation for everyone. Yes, I had issues but who doesn't nowadays? I made my way out to the game center and looked around until I found Edward and the boys.

They were standing in front of the skeet ball game. Edward was standing behind Alex, helping him roll the balls up the track and into the holes. Anthony was standing next to them, cheering on his best friend and his father like they were going for gold in the skeet ball Olympics. It was one of the sweetest moments of my life.

"Way to go, Alex," cheered Edward, wrapping his arms around my son from behind and hugging him. "Look at all those tickets you got!"

"There has to be like fifteen of them," gasped Alex, ripping off the tickets.

"I bet Anthony and I could do better," I said. Edward, Anthony, and Alex turned around and looked at me. I raised my eyebrow at the auburn haired little boy. "What do you think, Anthony?"

"Oh, yeah, we own this." He laughed as he held out his fist towards me. I reached out and bumped his fist with mine.

"Sounds like a bet," smirked Edward, handing me a token. "Good luck."

"Thanks."

I let Anthony put the token in. The balls rolled down and he stepped in front of me. Once he had a ball in his hand, I pulled his arm back and helped him roll it up. The ball rolled up and fell into the hole marked five thousand. Anthony jumped up and down as he cheered and I looked over at Edward, who looked surprised.

"Was that good?" I asked, feigning ignorance. Edward narrowed his eyes at me before he looked down at Alex.

"I think we've been had," he said.

"I think so, too," agreed Alex. He looked up at Edward. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I think your mom tricked us," explained Edward.

"Oh," said Alex, looking over at me. "That wasn't very nice, Mom."

"All is fair in skeet ball, my darling son," I said, smiling at him.

"Whatever," he muttered.

Anthony grabbed another ball and I once again helped him roll the ball up the track and into the marked holes. Nine times we did this, hitting the three thousand hole, four thousand hole, and one thousand hole. Once we rolled our last ball, we stepped back and watched the tickets come pouring out of the slot. There had to be at least thirty tickets.

"Whoa, look at all of them," gasped Anthony, tearing it off. Alex huffed and glared at me.

"What?" I asked. "I'm going to help you, too, you little knuckle head."

"Yay!" cheered Alex.

Edward laughed as he handed me another token. Alex took Anthony's spot in front of me. He picked up the first ball and I pulled his arm back and helped him roll the ball up. It dropped straight into the ten thousand hole. Anthony and Edward both cheered for us as Alex threw his arms around me and hugged me.

We continued rolling the rest of his balls up and ended up winning around the same amount of tickets as Anthony and I had won. Edward and I divvied up the rest of the tokens and helped the boys win as many tickets as we could. It was blast. We laughed and smiled. We cheered each other on. It was the most fun I had had in a long time.

Anthony and I had just gotten done playing a game where you hit the hedgehog in the head with a rubber mallet when I looked up and saw Edward watching me. He had a huge smile on his face. His cheeks turned pink as he turned back to Alex and finished whatever game they were playing. I felt my own cheeks turn pink as I turned back to Anthony.

By the time we had used all our tokens, Alex and Anthony had at least six hundred tickets between them. Edward and I fed all the tickets to the ticket eater, as it was so appropriately named, and took the boys over to the counter so they could pick out their prizes. It took them awhile but they both picked Chuck E. Cheese soccer balls.

"Are you ready to get out of here?" asked Edward, looking back at me. "I think the boys are tired."

"More than ready," I said, smiling at him.

Edward and I headed back into the party room and thanked Angela and Ben for inviting us. They both seemed unsure of how to act towards me but I decided to just ignore it. Today had already been an emotional day for all of us and I didn't really want to add to it. Anna thanked us again for the art supplies we got her and told Alex she would see him at school. I swear, my son blushed as he wished her a happy birthday.

"Alex," said Ben. My son looked up at him. "Treat my girl good."

"Daddy," whined Anna, throwing her hands up. From behind Ben, I could see Angela shaking her head and laughing, as was everyone else. Especially Carlisle and Esme. "You are embarrassing me."

"I will, sir," said Alex, seriously. I was so tempted to roll my eyes at my little Casanova but I didn't.

"Ok, we are leaving," I said, laughing. "Thanks again."

Edward and I took the boys back out to the car and loaded them inside. Edward was laughing silently at Ben and his little showdown with a five year old. Ben was a father of a little girl who was growing up before his very eyes. It couldn't be any easier for him to watch Anna growing up as it was for me to watch Alex.

By the time Edward pulled his car into my driveway, both boys were conked out in the back seat. I motioned for Edward to bring Anthony into the house. We laid the boys down in Alex's bedroom and quietly shut the door behind us. We made our way back downstairs to the living room.

"Would you like some coffee?" I asked, looking back at Edward.

"No, I'm already too wired," said Edward, smiling. "I'll take some water, though."

"Ok."

I headed into the kitchen and grabbed us a couple of bottles of water. I went back into the living room and kicked off my shoes before I climbed onto the couch next to Edward. He took the water from me and thanked me before he took a big drink.

"Do you want to talk about her?" asked Edward, pulling me closer to his body.

"Their parents were drunks," I said, looking up at him. "Brody was sixteen when he and Lauren moved in with their grandmother in Forks. Their parents had been fighting and things turned ugly. His father hit their mother, she called the police. They both ended up in jail. Brody never drank because he was terrified of being like them. Lauren, on the other hand, drank like a fish. He used to beg her to stop drinking. He told her that he loved her too much to let her kill herself but she didn't listen," I explained. "When she called that night, I asked him to not to go. I told him that she was being selfish but he told me that she was his sister. That she needed him."

I paused as I felt the tears building in my eyes again. Edward didn't say anything as he listened to my ramblings. He just ran his fingers up and down my arm. "I wasn't expecting to see her standing there. I wanted to take Alex and run but I couldn't. I couldn't because I know that Brody would want him to know her and I…I have to let him have that chance but…"

"You don't have to decide anything tonight," murmured Edward, pressing his lips on the top of my head.

"I know," I whispered. "Edward?"

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I'm really hungry," I said. Edward started laughing. I sat up and looked at him. "I'm serious. That pizza wasn't very filling and neither was the cake."

"I'm hungry too," he said, smiling. "How about if we order some Chinese? My treat, of course."

"Fine," I muttered. "But next time, I'm buying."

"Deal," said Edward, winking at me.

Edward and I spent the rest of the evening eating our dinner and watching movies. The boys were so tuckered out that they slept right through dinner. I guess a soccer game and a big party at Chuck E. Cheese will wear you out pretty damn good. Sometime during the second movie that Edward and I put on, I drifted off to sleep in his arms.

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. There is a bit more drama in this one than we've had in previous chapters. **


	22. Chapter 22

EPOV

When I woke up Sunday, the first thing that I realized was that I wasn't in my bed. It took me a couple of minutes to realize that I was sleeping on Bella's couch. Then I remembered her falling asleep in my arms. I couldn't bear the thought of letting her go so I held her until I fell asleep with her. I could get used to holding her all night, just maybe not on the couch.

The second thing that I realized was that the delicious smell of bacon wafting through the house from the kitchen. My mouth watered as I climbed off the couch and stretched. Yeah, definitely not a big fan of sleeping on the couch. I crossed the room and stopped in my tracks at the sight before me. Bella had Alex and Anthony standing on a couple of chairs next to her while she cooked bacon. They were both wearing aprons that hung well past their feet. Anthony was smiling and had his arm around her shoulders. It brought tears to my eyes.

"Something smells really good in here," I said, smiling. All three of them turned and looked at me. The smiles that sprang up on all three of their faces were beautiful.

"Bella's letting us help her make breakfast," said Anthony.

"I can see that," I laughed.

"Ok, we need plates and forks," she ordered, looking at the boys. They laughed and jumped off their chairs and started grabbing what we needed for breakfast. I went over to Bella, slipping my arms around her waist, and kissed her cheek.

"Good morning," I murmured.

"Morning," she whispered, turning her head to me. I leaned in and pressed my lips down on hers.

"They kiss a lot," said Alex. Bella and I laughed as we broke apart and looked down at our boys.

"I know," sighed Anthony, placing the forks on the table. "Aunt Ali says it's cause they are in love. I think they just like to kiss."

"Me too," agreed Alex. Bella was laughing silently but I did notice that her cheeks had turned a soft pink. They were delicious.

"Ok, who's hungry?" asked Bella, smiling at them.

"ME!" they both screamed.

"Ok stop screaming and sit down," said Bella, shaking her head.

I helped the boys move their chairs back over to the table while Bella set the plate of bacon, sausage, eggs, and biscuits on the table. We poured the boys a glass of milk and grabbed a cup of coffee for ourselves before we joined them. Bella and I got the boys' plates fixed before making our own. I picked up a slice of bacon and bit off a huge piece.

"Oh god, this is the best bacon I have ever eaten," I said, looking over at her. "What did you put on it?"

"Not telling," she sang. "It's a secret."

"Would it help if I begged or pouted?" I asked, smiling widely. "I'm not too proud to beg."

"No, it wouldn't help," she laughed, shaking her head.

"Darn it," I sighed, winking at her.

The boys were too busy shoving food into their mouths to pay any attention to us. Of course, they had slept right through dinner last night. Once they had eaten their fair share of food, they asked if they could go play out in the backyard. Bella and I said yes and they took off, letting the back door shut behind them. I laughed as I took a sip of my coffee.

"Are you okay this morning?" I asked, reaching over and grabbing her hand.

"Yeah," she said, quietly as she looked over at me. "I still don't know what to do about Lauren."

"Maybe you should try talking with her again, with Alex not there, and see how it goes," I suggested.

"Maybe," smiled Bella. "Did you sleep ok? You didn't look very comfortable on the couch."

"I'm fine," I said, reassuring her. "I didn't feel you get up, though."

"Yeah,. I was woken up when I heard two little gigglers. I found our boys standing over us with goofy grins on their faces," said Bella, smiling. "I'm not sure how you slept through it."

"I like it when you say that," I murmured.

"Say what?" asked Bella.

"When you call them our boys," I smiled. "You don't say your son and my son. You call them our boys. I don't know. I just like it."

"Oh," whispered Bella, blushing softly. "I like it, too."

Bella looked up at me. She was so beautiful. I brought my hand up to her face, cupping her cheek in my hand. She leaned into my hand, letting her lips part just slightly. I reached over and pulled her into my lap letting my hands rest on her hips. Her legs fell on either side of mine. She brought her hands up so that they were laying on my chest, just over my heart. Not wanting to wait another moment, I leaned forward and captured her lips with mine.

She moaned and fisted my shirt in her hands. I slipped my tongue in between her lips and eagerly explored her mouth. My arms moved from her hips to around her body, pulling her closer into me. My cock was rock hard. I knew Bella could feel me through our jeans. Bella started shifting her hips back and forth, creating the most amazing friction.

"Bella," I breathed, sliding my hands back down her hips and pushing my hips up to meet hers.

"Edward," she gasped, sliding her hands up into my hair.

She pulled my head back and crushed her lips back down onto mine. This time I was the one that moaned into her mouth. Bella's tongue slipped into my mouth and we fought for dominance as she ground herself onto me, harder and faster. My dick was so hard that it was throbbing, begging for a release. Bella pulled her lips from mine and buried her head in my neck.

"Edward," she whimpered, shuddering against me. The feeling of her breath on the side of my neck was enough to send me over the edge. I gripped her hips tightly in my hands as I held her against me and let my release take over.

"Fuck," I whispered, dropping my head onto her shoulder.

For several minutes, Bella and I just sat there with her on my lap and my hands on her hips. Slowly, our breathing regulated and I loosened my grip on her. She sat up and looked at me. I wasn't sure what to say to her. While it was incredible and I didn't regret what we had just done, I didn't want her to think that I was such a pervert.

"Bella-"

"That was incredible," she murmured, biting on her lip. "I've never…just wow."

"I didn't mean for that to happen," I whispered, laying my head back onto her shoulder. "I respect you so much but it was like…"

"Hey, I know," she said, stroking my hair softly. I looked up at her. "Edward, I don't regret doing that. I know we aren't ready for…everything but…that was just…like I said wow and I wouldn't say no to ever doing that again."

"You are such a little vixen," I groaned. Bella giggled and pressed her lips down into mine.

"I've never been called a vixen before," she smirked. "I kind of like it."

"Bella," I whined, closing my eyes.

"Ok, ok, I'll stop," she laughed, standing up. "Although, I'm suddenly in the need for a shower."

"That doesn't help," I mumbled.

"I know," she said, winking at me.

I growled at her and pulled her back onto my lap. She squealed and pushed away from me. I headed into the bathroom and cleaned myself up as good as I could while she went upstairs to change. I should have just gotten Anthony and headed home but I wasn't ready to leave her or Alex. They owned me and Anthony and I didn't mind it at all.

I headed back into the kitchen and started on the breakfast dishes. A few minutes later, Bella came in and wrapped her arms around my waist and placing a kiss on the middle on the middle of my back. She and I got the dishes done, checked on our boys, and spent the rest of the morning laying around the living room. I watched television while she read through the newspaper and ran her fingers through my hair. Her fingers felt amazing on my scalp. Just before noon, the boys came into the house, soaking wet. Bella jumped up and grabbed a couple of towels from the dryer and wrapped them around the two boys.

"It just started raining," said Anthony. "We tried to hurry back into the house but we didn't make it."

"It's ok," smiled Bella. "Are you cold?"

"A little," said Alex, shivering. Bella looked over at me.

"Will you make them some hot chocolate while I get them into some dry clothes?" she asked.

"Of course, I will," I replied, smiling at her. "Do you have marshmallows?"

"Yes, in the cabinet where the spices are," she said, standing up.

I headed into the kitchen and put the silver tea kettle on the stove while Bella and the boys headed upstairs. I found the mugs, hot chocolate, and marshmallows and got them ready. They came in a couple minutes later looking toasty warm in a pair of sweats, t-shirts and socks, all courtesy of Alex. They settled down at the table while I got their hot chocolate ready and Bella made them each a sandwich.

"Mmmm, this is good, Edward," said Alex, taking a small sip of his drink. His upper lip was covered in melted marshmallows and chocolate.

"Why can you make this but you burn everything else?" asked Anthony.

"I don't burn everything," I scoffed. "I made you toast yesterday morning."

"One side was completely black, Dad," said Anthony, giving me a look. "You covered it with jelly hoping that I wouldn't notice."

"I didn't think you noticed that," I muttered, feeling my cheeks turn red as Bella laughed.

"Well, I did," said Anthony.

"You know, Anthony," said Bella. "When I was little, Grandpa used to burn everything he made."

"He did?" asked Anthony.

"Yep," said Bella, nodding her head. "Why do you think I learned to cook. Maybe you should start doing all the cooking."

"Nah," shrugged Anthony. "I think we should just start having dinner with you every night so you can cook for us."

"Anthony!" I exclaimed, laughing. "You can't expect Bella to cook for us all the time."

"Why not?" he asked, pleading with me. "Isn't that what moms do?"

"Yes," said Bella, reaching across the table and grabbing his hand. "I will cook for you anytime you want, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Bella," smiled Anthony.

I placed my hand on Bella's back, silently thanking her. The boys finished their lunch and coco and headed back into the living room to watch a movie. I stood up and picked up their empty mugs and started washing them. Once again, Bella came over and wrapped her arms around my waist, laying her head on my back.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You are being awfully quiet."

"It's just hard," I whispered. I took a deep breath as I turned in her arms and looked down at her. "He's missed out on so much without having his mom here. Sometimes I forget how hard this has to be on him."

"Edward," sighed Bella, bringing her hand up to my check and wiping my tears off.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, clearing my throat. "The last thing you want to hear is me whining about her."

"Sarah is a huge part of who you are now and an even bigger part of that amazing little boy in there, Edward," said Bella, smiling at me. "How could I not want to hear about the woman who gave her life for her son?"

"Bella," I whimpered, laying my forehead down on hers. "You are truly an amazing woman."

"No, I'm a mom," she whispered. "I meant what I said, Edward. I'll cook for him. I'll do whatever he needs me to do as his mom."

"Just love him," I whispered.

"I do," she murmured. "Very much so."

"Thank you." I leaned down and kissed her softly. "You know, I love Alex, don't you?"

"I do," she whispered. "I'm thankful for that, Edward."

"I'm thankful for you." I smiled as I leaned in again in and kissed her.

"Are you two going to keep kissing?" asked Anthony. I looked over at my son. He and Alex were standing in the door to the kitchen. "Cause we want you to watch a movie with us."

"Yeah, you can kiss later," laughed Alex.

"Fine, we're coming," giggled Bella.

Bella and I followed the boys back into the living room. We settled down on the couch while they picked out a movie, Camp Rock. Alex and Anthony sat on the other end of the couch while Bella snuggled up next to me. I wrapped my arm around her and held her as close as I could. The boys were so lost in the movie that they didn't realize that Bella had drifted to sleep in my arms. I looked down at her and smiled. She was so beautiful and I was completely in love with her.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, let me know. I would love to hear from all of you.**


	23. Chapter 23

BPOV

"Mom, where are my shoes?" yelled Alex. I rolled my eyes at my darling son as I hopped on one foot and tried to get my own shoes on. Stupid high heeled shoes.

"Did you look in the living room?" I yelled back.

"Yes," he shouted. "They aren't there."

"Ok, what about in the kitchen?" I asked, rushing down the stairs.

Alex was standing in the middle of the room. Just standing there and not putting a lot of effort in finding his lost shoes. I sighed as I went into the kitchen and found his white and red Nike sneakers laying under the table, right where he had kicked them off last night during dinner. Sometimes I think that boy would lose his head if it wasn't attached to his body. I picked them up and went back into the living room, finding him still standing in the same spot.

"Here they are," I said, dropping them at his feet. "Hurry and get them on so I can take you to school."

"I'm hurrying," he muttered, plopping down on the floor.

I went over and picked up my purse and keys. Alex finished putting on his shoes and grabbed his backpack. Taking one more look in the mirror that hung on the wall behind the door, I shuffled him out of the house and out to the car. I got him buckled in before I climbed into the driver's seat and headed down to his school.

Two weeks have passed since we saw Lauren at Anna's birthday party and I still hadn't made a decision on what I should do. That's not really true. I had decided, I just hasn't followed through on it. I knew that Alex deserved to have his aunt in his life, even if I didn't much like the idea. Brody would have wanted him to know her and I had to let go of my anger. It was just easier said than done.

I pulled my car up next to Edward's silver Volvo. Alex and I climbed out at the same time as Edward and Anthony climbed out. Alex and Anthony took off around the corner while Edward pulled me into his arms and gave me a soft kiss on the lips.

"Morning," he murmured, slipping his arm around my waist. "How was your night last night?"

"Well, after I stopped talking to this guy on the phone," I said, giving him a look, "I slept great. How about yourself?"

"This woman I've been seeing kept me up all night last night," he whispered, leaning down and kissing my neck.

"Edward," I giggled, pushing him back. "There are innocent eyes around here."

"Yeah, my eyes can't take it," smirked Garrett, rushing past us with Mattie trailing along behind him. "My mommy never taught me about the birds and the bees."

"What birds and bees, Daddy?" chirped Mattie.

Garrett groaned and told her to ask her mom. Edward and I were still laughing as we followed him around the corner. Alex and Anthony were standing next to the wall with Anna as they discussed why Spiderman was cooler than Superman. Little Anna made me proud when she spoke up and said that she thought Superwoman was better than all of them. Even though I knew Alex did not agree with that assessment, he didn't disagree with her.

Alice opened her door and ushered all the kids into her classroom. Edward and I headed out to our cars. Once we were standing between his car and mine, he had me pressed against mine and was kissing me. God, this man was driving me crazy and making my girlie parts dance.

"Edward," I gasped, pulling my lips from his. He didn't stop kissing me, he just moved his lips down to my neck. "God, Edward, I have…to…go."

"No," he murmured, pressing his body against mine.

"I…have…to," I moaned, pulling him even closer to me. "I have a meeting."

"Ok, ok," he groaned, pulling away from me. "I'll see you later."

"Ok," I murmured.

I kissed him once more before climbing into my car. Edward watched as I pulled out of my parking space and headed away from the school. The man was killing me with all of this. I hadn't had sex in over six years and my girly parts were begging for him to touch me. Other than a little grinding and outside of the clothes touching, we hadn't really done much else and I was aching for something, anything. God, I was like a horny teenage girl again.

Twelve minutes later, I pulled my car into the parking garage of Volturi Publishing. I climbed out of my car and headed up to the office of my editor, Tanya Denali. I had sent her the outline and first four chapter to the first attempt of a real novel, a Edward called it. She called me two days later and told me to get my ass in there to see her. I couldn't tell if it was good news or bad but here I was.

"It's about damn time you got your ass in here," smirked Tanya the moment I stepped off the elevator. She was a tall, thin, gorgeous strawberry blond that pulled the attention of every man and several women to her with every move she made.

"Patience, my dear," I sighed. "I had to get the boy to school and he had trouble finding his shoes."

"Patience is not my things," she said, shrugging her shoulders as she hooked her arm in with mine. "How is that darling little boy of yours?"

"He has a girlfriend," I laughed. Tanya gasped as she looked over at me.

"He's five and he has a better social life than I do," she sighed, shaking her head. "There is something wrong with that."

"Yep," I snorted.

Tanya lead me into her office and pushed me into one of the leather chairs that sat in front of her desk. She shut the door behind us and moved over and sat down in her seat. For a couple of minutes, she just sat there looking at me like she was trying to figure out a puzzle. It was uncomfortable and weird but this was Tanya that we were talking about.

"Stop staring at me," I grumbled.

"There is something different about you," she mused. "You're smiling, laughing. You started a real book instead of the sexless erotica that you normally write. What's going on?"

"Nothing," I muttered, blushing scarlet. I knew it had everything to do with Edward,

"You're blushing," she said, accusingly. "Did you meet someone?"

I pursed my lips together, refusing to answer her. She narrowed her eyes at me and I caved. "Maybe," I murmured.

"OH MY GOD!" she screamed, bouncing up and down in her chair.

"Oh, stop it," I grumbled, while she just clapped her hands.

"This is so exciting!" she squealed. "Tell me everything about him."

"Aren't we supposed to be discussing the outline and chapters I sent you?" I asked.

"No, you need to tell me about the man who broke through your icy heart," she sighed, dreamily. I rolled my eyes at her. "Seriously, Isabella, this is huge. I never thought you would move on from Brody."

"I know," I said, frowning.

"Oh, don't go being all sad," begged Tanya. "Tell me about him."

"His name is Edward," I said, smiling. "He has a son the same age as Alex. They are in the same class at school. He's widower."

"Oh my god, is he like old?" grimaced Tanya.

"No," I laughed. "He's twenty-nine."

"Oh, well, that's better, I guess," she said, smiling. "Tell me more."

"There is really not much to tell," I said. "We've been seeing each other for a few weeks. Alex loves him and Anthony so much. Anthony is just a little sweetheart."

"You love him," accused Tanya.

"I just met him," I muttered, blushing bright red.

"I don't care," she laughed. "I've known you since you were nothing more than a mousy little girl who was all doe eyes over the boy on her arm and you, my favorite porn writer, are in love."

"I do not write porn," I said, defending myself. She cocked an eyebrow at me. "I don't!"

Tanya didn't say anything as she stood up and went over to her many bookshelves. She pulled off the first book I wrote and moved back to her desk. She flipped the book open, looked up at me and started reading.

"She couldn't deny the feeling that welled up inside of her at his very touch. Marcy had never felt a man's touch before and Cole was setting her skin on fire. Like he could read her mind, he leaned over her partially clad body, pressing his manhood into her hip. 'Can you feel what you do to me?' asked Cole, pressing himself down on her even more. Marcy ached her back as she cried out. 'Yes, yes, touch me, love me, make me yours.' Cole smiled wickedly as he slid his hand up her olive toned thigh until he reached her-"

"Ok, you made your point," I sighed, hanging my head in shame. "My name is Isabella and I am porn writer."

"Not anymore, you are not," smiled Tanya. I looked up at her. She had set my book down and picked up my outline. "This is amazing, Isabella. This is what you should have been writing all along."

"You really think it's good?" I asked.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I think it's magnificent. Based on the first four chapters you sent me, the rest of it will be just as amazing."

"I was so nervous," I sighed, placing my hand on my heart. "You know how important my writing is to me."

"I do," she smiled. "Which is why I want to know why you wanted this long to write this? I mean, this is really good, Isabella."

I rolled my eyes. "You are being ridiculous."

"No, I'm not," insisted Tanya. "I took this to Aro, Isabella."

"WHAT?" I screeched, flying out of my seat and slamming my hands on her desk. "How could you do that without talking to me first?"

"Because it's my job," she said, standing up.

She leaned over and pushed on my shoulder to get me to sit back down. I ignored her as I started pacing back and forth. Aro Volturi was Volturi Publishing. The company had been in his family for three generations and everyone who wanted to be something in the literary world wanted Aro Volturi to read their work. It would be like asking Picasso to look over your paintings or The Beatles to listen to your music. He was that important.

"Isabella, are you going to pass out on me again?" asked Tanya. I laughed humorously at her.

"No," I muttered, biting on my bottom lip. I stopped my pacing and looked back at her. "What did he think?"

"In his words, it was extraordinary," smiled Tanya. I dropped back into my seat and sighed in relief.

"Are you fucking with me, Tanya?" I asked.

"No," she laughed before sitting back down and turning serious. "He wants more, Isabella."

"Wow," I muttered. "As long as there is no pressure, right?"

"Hey, there is no pressure," said Tanya, moving around her desk and sitting on the seat next to me. She grabbed my hand. "But, sweetie, Brody would want you to do this. And from what I gather, so would Edward."

"I know," I murmured, closing my eyes. "So exactly what do I need to do now?"

"Just do whatever you've been doing," she said, smiling at me. She brought her hand up to my cheek. "He would be so proud of you, you know. When he sent me your first book, he told me that you would be the next big thing. He was right."

"He told me it was ok to move on," I whispered, looking up at her. "He came to me in a dream and told me it was ok."

"He was right, Isabella," she smiled, dropping her hand down onto our joined hands. "He would want you and Alex to be happy."

"I know," I murmured. I cleared my throat as I stood up. "I had better get going. I'll be in touch soon."

"Ok, and thank you for coming in today," said Tanya, hugging me. "Give Alex an extra big hug from me."

"I will," I laughed. "And thanks."

"You're welcome, I guess," she said, smiling.

I headed back down to my car but didn't feel like going back to the house. Without even realizing it, I found myself driving over to Edward's house. I parked my car in the driveway and headed up to the front porch. I rang the doorbell and waited for Edward to open the door, which he did a few minutes later. Or so I thought. I had my back to the door when I heard it creak open.

"Can I help you?" asked a woman. I froze for a split second before I turned and looked back at the door. There standing in the doorway to Edward's house was a woman with curly red hair and bright brown eyes that were exactly the shape of Anthony's. "Hello, anyone there?"

"Who is it, Vic?" asked Edward, coming up behind her.

"I don't know," she shrugged, turning and placing her hand on his chest. "She seems to have lost her voice, Eddie."

The woman let her hand drag across Edward's chest as she walked past him and back into the house. I glared at him before I turned and walked away.

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews! Seriously, over a hundred for the last chapter. Since you all like to leave me love, do it again.**


	24. Chapter 24

**EPOV**

I watched as she drove away. I was pretty sure I was going fucking insane. Shit, I had just pressed her against her car and was practically grinding myself against her at our children's school. What the fuck was wrong with me? I had turned into such a fucking teenager. It was bad enough that I was having wet dreams about her, now I was practically attacking her wherever we went.

I sighed as I went over and climbed into my car and headed back home. The dreams started after Bella climbed onto my lap and dry humped me. I found myself dreaming of taking her in every room of my house, her house, both our cars, and the park. Yeah, there was something seriously fucking wrong with me.

I pulled my car up into the driving of my house. My ex sister-in-law was sitting on the front porch. Victoria was Sarah's little sister by almost ten years. I hadn't seen her since Sarah's funeral when their father, Christopher, informed me that Anthony and I were no longer a part of his family. Victoria was barely twelve at the time and was torn up over her sister's death. I climbed out of my car and headed over to her.

"Vic, what the hell are you doing here?" I asked, unlocking the front door. "Why aren't you in school?"

"I dropped out," she said, following me inside. I narrowed my eyes at her. "Oh, don't look at me like that, Eddie."

"Edward," I said, correcting her. "You are a senior this year. How can you just drop out?"

"Easy," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "The asshole I used to call my father kicked my ass out."

"What?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips. "Why would that old cranky bastard kick you out?"

"Well," sighed Victoria, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger. "He may or may not have caught me in a…compromising position."

"Do I want to know?" I asked, sitting down on the couch. Victoria moved over and sat down next to me.

"He caught me having sex with my boyfriend," she said, bluntly. I cringed. "Oh, don't be like that, Eddie. I'm seventeen and I can fuck whoever I want."

"Vic, my name is Edward, not Eddie," I reminded her.

"Vic, my names is Edward and not Eddie," she said, mocking me. Except she used a high-pitched girly voice.

"I don't sound like that," I scoffed.

"Well, you were starting to sound like a girl, Eddie," she laughed, leaning back on the couch and putting her feet on the coffee table. "All whining and shit."

"I was not," I said, pushing her feet down. "Now, explained me what happened."

"Fuck, Eddie," she grumbled. "You know what he is like. He's only gotten worse since Sarah's been gone. I mean, he's just such an asshole. He acts like he's the only one who lost someone."

"I'm sorry, Vic," I sighed, leaning back on the couch. "I should have been there more."

"You were kind of busy being super dad," she said, smiling. "I bet Anthony's big, isn't he?"

"Yes," I smiled. I pulled out my wallet and fished out a picture of him. "Here."

"Aw," she whispered, pulling it up to her face. "He looks likes Sarah."

"More and more everyday," I admitted. "He acts a lot like her, too."

"I'm sure he does," murmured Victoria. "I wish I had the chance to get to know him."

"Me too," I sighed. "He would find you funny."

"Yeah, yeah," snorted Victoria, holding his picture out to me.

"Keep it," I said, pushing it back. "I have plenty of others."

"Thanks, Eddie," she smiled.

"Now, stop stalling and tell me what happened between you and the old man," I said, folding my arms across my chest.

"Well, I guess this was just the last bit he could take," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "He had been out of town and came home early. James, my boyfriend of two years, and I were having sex in my room. He came barging in, calling me a whore. He told me that Sarah never acted like that. I screamed at him that I wasn't Sarah. He told me I wasn't nearly as good as she was. I told him to fuck off and get out of my room. He told me to get out of his house."

"What a fucking asshole," I muttered, shaking my head. "So you just left?"

"Yep," she said, proudly. "Packed up as much shit as James and I could carry and left his sorry ass in the living room, mourning over the daughter he lost."

"Where are you living now?" I asked. "Is that why you are here? Were you wanting to move in with me?"

"No," scoffed Victoria, shaking her head. "You know I like you, Eddie, but you and I would not be able to live under the same roof."

"True," I admitted.

"I'm staying with James and his family," explained Victoria. "They are helping me get back on my feet, which means no more boring old private school. I'm starting public school next week."

"Hmm," I snorted.

"Don't start, Eddie," she whined.

"I wasn't," I insisted. She rolled her eyes and looked around. "I just don't want you to do something you are going to regret just because you are mad at him."

"I'm not," she sighed, looking back over at me. "It's not like James and I are getting married tomorrow or something. Neither of us are ready for that. I'm going to graduate high school, go to college, make something of myself before I get married. I'm going to make Sarah proud of me."

"She already is," I smiled.

"You think so?" asked Victoria.

"Yeah, I do," I sighed, nodding my head. "So what are you doing here? Not that I mind, but you haven't been here in years."

"Well, I was hoping that maybe you'd let me see Anthony sometime," said Victoria. I pursed my lips together. "I know he doesn't know me, Eddie, but he's the last connection I have to my sister. I wanted to talk to you about it while he was at school."

"I appreciate that," I sighed. "We'll see what we can work out. Maybe we can meet at the park or something."

"I'd like that," she said, smiling.

"You just have to understand, Vic, that he is a little boy. You can't be saying fuck around him all the time," I reminded her.

"I know that, Eddie," she scoffed. "I'm not a fucking idiot."

"Never said you were," I laughed, standing up. "Do you drink coffee yet?"

"Yep," she smiled. "Two sugars."

"Alright," I said, heading into the kitchen. "Don't touch anything."

"Don't touch anything," she mimicked.

I laughed as I headed into the kitchen. Victoria hadn't really changed much in the last few years. She may be seventeen but she still acted like the ten year old brat that I used to give piggy back rides to. I pulled two mugs out of the cabinet and poured us both some coffee, adding two spoonfuls of sugar to hers. I picked them up and headed into the living room. She was standing in front of the entertainment center, looking at a picture of me, Bella, Alex, and Anthony that my mother had taken last week.

"She's pretty," murmured Victoria, looking over at me. "Who is she?"

"My girlfriend," I said, quietly. Victoria looked back at the picture. "Vic-"

"No, it's fine," she said, putting it back down. She looked over at me. "Sarah would want you and Anthony to be happy."

"I know she would," I muttered.

"Tell me about her," smiled Victoria, taking the coffee from me before she sat back down on the couch. I moved over and sat down next to her.

"Her name is Bella. That's her son, Alex, in the picture with us," I explained. "She's a writer and she's an amazing mom. She's funny and smart. She puts Emmett in his place and isn't afraid of anything."

"You love her," said Victoria. I turned and sipped my coffee. "You do, don't you? You love her, Eddie."

"Vic," I said, shaking my head.

"No, you do," she laughed. "Eddie's in love."

"Oh, for fuck sake, Victoria," I grumbled, falling back onto the couch. "Fine, yes, I love her. I never thought that I would feel this way again after Sarah but I do."

"I think it's sweet," sighed Victoria, leaning back. She laid her head on the back of the couch and smiled as she looked over at me. "Would Sarah like her?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "Sarah would have loved Bella. She's exactly the kind of person that Sarah would have been friends with."

"How's the sex?" asked Victoria just as I was taking a sip of my coffee. I spluttered my coffee everywhere. "Oh, shit, Eddie, I'm sorry."

"Vic," I muttered, standing up.

I headed into the kitchen to get cleaned up. I was just blotting at the stains on my shirt when I heard the doorbell ring. Vic called out that she would get it. I tossed the towel on the counter when I heard her open the door and headed out into the living room.

"Can I help you?" asked Victoria. "Hello, anyone there?"

"Who is it, Vic?" I asked, coming up behind her. I started to smile when I saw Bella standing there. Then I noticed the look on her face. She looked pissed. Had she had a bad meeting with her editor?

"I don't know," shrugged Victoria, turning and placing her hand on my chest. "She seems to have lost her voice, Eddie."

Victoria walked past me, letting her hand drag across my chest as she headed back into the house. Bella's eyes narrowed as she focused in on Victoria's hand. Fuck, did she think that me and Victoria? Ew, that's just nasty. Before I could say anything, Bella turned and headed over to her car, muttering under her breath. I ran after her.

"Bella, wait," I said, grabbing her arm. Bella turned and pushed me away.

"Fuck you, Edward," she hissed. "I should have known better than to trust you."

"It's not what you think," I insisted, reaching for her again. Bella stepped back and shook her head.

"I'm not a fucking idiot, Edward," she muttered. I could see the tears swimming in her eyes.

"I didn't say you were," I said, softly. I reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her to me. "Bella, that is Victoria, Sarah's little sister. She came by to talk about seeing Anthony."

"Seriously?" she asked, looking up at me.

"Yes," I smiled. "Bella, I…" I wanted to tell her that I loved her but this wasn't the right time. "I care about you so much. I would never, ever cheat on you. Ever."

"I'm sorry," she muttered, shaking her head as she rested her forehead on the middle of my chest. "I saw her with her hand on your chest and…"

"Yeah, Vic, is…well, she's kind of a little freak."

"I am not," scoffed Victoria. I turned back to see her coming out of the house. "You must be Bella. Sorry about before but, well, you weren't speaking so…Anyway, I'm out of here so you two kids can make up and kiss and all that gross shit that adults do because I really don't want to see it. Eddie, I left my cell number on the table and James' house number. Call me about the park or whatever, ok? Goodbye."

Victoria turned and headed down the street without another look back at us. I laughed as I looked down at Bella, who looked taken back. "She's spirited."

"Spirited was not the word I would have used," smiled Bella. "I would have gone with flamboyant."

"She most certainly is," I sighed, leading Bella into the house. "I hadn't seen her since Sarah's funeral. Her dad kicked her out and she's living with her boyfriend's family, apparently."

"Oh," said Bella, scrunching up her face. "Is that a good idea?"

"I do not know," I smiled. "But her dad is a real asshole who thinks that Sarah could do no wrong and Vic is nothing compared to her. Maybe this will be Vic's chance to her own person."

"Wow, that must suck," frowned Bella. She cocked her eyebrow up at me and smiled. "So Eddie, huh?"

"She's the only person who calls me Eddie," I groaned. "Sarah used to do it and when she introduced me to her little sister, who was ten, the name stuck."

"Oh," she said, softly, slipping her arms around my waist.

"I'm really sorry," I murmured.

"Me too," whispered Bella.

"So how was your meeting?" I asked, pulling her over to couch and settling her down on my lap.

"Oh, it was amazing," smiled Bella.

As she went on to tell me about how much her editor loved her first few chapter, she became more and more animated. I could feel the happiness and joy radiating off of her. Her smile grew with each word she spoke. I couldn't help but smile with her. God, how I loved this amazingly, beautiful woman.

"I sound silly, don't I?" she asked, shaking her head.

"No," I laughed. "You sound excited. I think it's cute."

"Cute?" she asked, pulling her bottom lip in. God, I wanted to be that lip.

"Yes," I whispered, reaching up and tugging at her lip. "Very cute."

Before Bella could say anything, I leaned up and pressed my lips onto hers. Bella moaned and wove her hands into my hair, pulling my head even closer to her. I wasn't even aware of making the choice but I moved us so that Bella was laying under me. Her skirt rode up as I pressed myself down onto her.

"Edward," she moaned, wrapping her legs around my waist and pulling me down onto her even more.

I moved my lips to her neck, nipping at any inch of free skin I could find. I could feel her warm center through my jeans. My cock was begging me to be plunged into her. I slid my hand up her leg, slowly pushing up her thigh until I hit her lacy panties. I pulled back and looked down at her. She was flushed and panting slightly.

"Bella," I murmured. I wanted to ask her if I could feel her, touch her, but I was scared to.

"Touch me," she whispered. I didn't hesitate as I slipped my fingers into her panties, letting them rub against her wet folds. "Edward, fuck! More, please, more!"

I crushed my lips back down onto hers as I pushed my finger into her. She moaned into my mouth as she thrust her hips up at me, pulling my finger into her even deeper. I pulled my finger back before pushing back into her. Her juices were coating my hand. I wanted to taste her. I pulled my lips away from hers as I slipped my finger out of her. She whimpered and pouted.

"Patience," I smiled as I brought my finger to my lips. I snaked my tongue out and lapped up every drop she had given me.

"Oh fuck," she moaned.

"Baby, can I taste you?" I asked, moving my hand back under her skirt. "Can I taste you here?"

"Yes," she growled. "Please, yes!"

I smirked inwardly as I moved so that was I kneeling next to the couch. I gripped the sides of her panties and slowly pulled them down. Fuck, black lace. She was a vixen and didn't even know it. I dropped them onto the floor and moved her so that she was hanging off the couch. I pushed her skirt up around her waist and smiled. Her pussy was glistening as her juice gathered.

I looked up at Bella as I wrapped my arms around her thighs and lowered my mouth onto her. Bella moaned and arched her back off the couch. She tasted so much better than she did on my fingers. I buried my face into her, thrusting my tongue deep into her opening.

"Edward, oh my god," cried Bella, writhing under me. "Oh, fuck….so fucking good."

"You taste so amazing, baby," I moaned, lapping at her clit. "I've never tasted something as sweet as you."

"I'm so close," she begged. "Please don't stop."

I pressed my face back into her, thrusting my tongue into her as deep as I could. Her clit was rubbing against my nose. I could tell she was fixing to cum. I leaded up and sucked her clit into my mouth, biting down on it. Bella screamed as she came hard, letting her essence slow into my waiting mouth. Once I had drank my girl dry, I leaned up and kissed her. Bella thrust her tongue into my mouth, moaning as she tasted herself on me.

Bella pulled her lips away from mine and pushed me back. She stood up and pushed her skirt down. She offered me her hand and I took it. She pulled me back up to my feet only to push me back down on the couch. Before I could say anything, she dropped to her knees in front of me and reached for the button of my jeans.

"You don't have to," I muttered, grabbing her hands. She pushed my hands away and smiled.

"I know I don't," she smirked, popping the button my pants. "But I want to. You got to taste me and now, it's my turn."

Bella unzipped my jeans and pulled my cock out before I could even blink. The moment her warm hand touched me, my cock twitched and I had to stop myself from cumming like a fifteen year old boy seeing a pair of boobs for the first time. But, shit, it's been a long time since anyone other than me had touched my dick and, damn it, her hand felt a-fucking-mazing.

"Bella, are you sure?" I grunted, closing my eyes as she pumped me up and down a few times. "Fuck, your hand is so warm."

"Just imagine what my pussy would feel like," she purred, before she encased my dick in mouth.

"OH, FUCK!" I growled, snapping my eyes down to her.

Bella pulled me out of her mouth and slowly took me back in. She was using her tongue with every pass, massaging my cock. I moved my hand to the back of her head, gripping her hair in my fingers. Each time that she came up, she hallowed out her checks and sucking on the head of my cock. I was fighting the urge to fuck her mouth. My balls were aching and I knew I was going to cum soon. It had been too long since I had felt a woman on me like this. Bella increased her pace, taking me deeper and deeper into her mouth every time.

"Fuck, Bella," I grunted, panting heavily. "Move, baby, I'm gonna cum."

Bella relaxed her throat and took me all the way into her mouth and down her throat, swallowing around me. I gripped her hair tighter in my hand as I came down her throat, moaning and dropping her name from my lips. Bella swallowed every drop that poured out of me. She popped me out of her mouth and leaned back onto her heels with a sexy smile laying on her hips.

I reached down and pulled her so that I could kiss her. I could taste myself on her lips, and I didn't hate it. "Baby, that was…" I trailed off. "Incredible."

"Thanks," she smiled. "I enjoyed it. All of it."

"Me too," I smirked. Bella laughed as she stood up and slipped her panties back on. I tucked myself back into my pants.

Just after three Bella and I headed down to the school to pick up our boys. I slipped my hand into hers as we walked around the corner to Alice's classroom. She opened her doors and let the kids out. Both Alex and Anthony came running at us, jumping into our arms. They were smiling and clearly very happy that the day was over.

"Did you have a good day, Dad?" asked Anthony. I smiled as I looked over at Bella, who blushed a soft pink.

"I sure did," I smiled. "A really good day. How about you?"

"Eh, it was ok," he said as I put him down.

"How about if you and Alex tell us all about it over ice cream?" asked Bella, taking each one of their hands into hers. She looked up at me. "Are you hungry, Edward?"

"I could eat," I smiled. She smiled as she turned bright red.

"Yay, ice cream," cheered both of the boys.

I followed Bella and the boys out to my car. We got them buckled into their seats and headed down to our favorite little ice cream shop. Bella was smiling as she listened to the boys telling us about everything they did today. She looked over at me and, somehow, her smile grew. Yep, I was definitely in love with her. Now, I just needed to figure out how to tell her.

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews. I am amazing at the response the last chapter got, 130 reviews. Completely blows me away. Now, on to this one. What did you think? Go cheek out Composition of Love by trueloveph28 for me. It's a great story. Also go check out Love, Music by SOFisticated, it's also a great new story:)**


	25. Chapter 25

**BPOV**

A few days later, I found myself sitting in the back of a small café, waiting for Lauren to show up. I was extremely nervous about sitting down with her and having a conversation that didn't involve yelling and screaming at her but I knew I had to. I had been angry for too long and it was time for me to let it go and move on. Especially if I wanted to have any kind of future with Edward.

My face heated up just thinking about that amazing man. He was driving me crazy. I knew I was falling in love with him and it scared the crap out of me. It wasn't loving him that scared me. That was the easy part, especially when he touched me like he did a few days ago. It had been six years since I had felt a man's touch like that and, honestly, I craved more. I wanted to make love to him, holding him tightly to my body as we came together, but I wasn't sure we were ready for that step.

So, no, I wasn't scared of loving him. I was terrified of losing him. After losing Brody, I wasn't sure my heart could survive going through that kind of pain again. I had Alex to think about and Anthony, I loved that little boy just as he was mine and he was mine. Sometime over the last couple of months, Edward and I had taken on the roles that our sons needed, me as Anthony's mother and him as Alex's father.

I was pulled out of my inner ramblings when the door to the café opened. I looked over and saw Tyler and Lauren walk in, hand in hand and looking completely happy and in love. The two of them looked around until they saw me sitting in the back. Tyler smiled as he leaned down to Lauren's ear. He whispered something to her before he kissed her and left. Lauren motioned that she was grabbing something from the counter. A couple minutes later, she came over to my table with a cup of hot cocoa and a bagel.

"Sorry, I'm late," she said, sitting down. "My doctors appointment took forever."

"It's fine," I said, quietly. "I haven't been here for every long myself."

"That's good," she murmured, sipping on her drink.

"How far along are you?" I asked.

"Eighteen weeks," she said, smiling. "So…how's Alex?"

"He's good," I said, smiling. "He's excited about Halloween. He wants to dress up like Spiderman."

"He'll be a cute Spiderman." Lauren smiled as she picked at her bagel. "Brody loved Spiderman, too."

"I know," I muttered, picking up my coffee. "Why did Tyler leave?"

"Oh, he wanted to give us time to talk," explained Lauren. "He wasn't sure you would actually meet me today."

"I said I would."

"He's just very protective of me," said Lauren, leaning back in her seat. "He's been with me through a lot."

"How did you two meet?" I asked.

Lauren's smile faltered as she answered. "Um, we meet in AA."

"Oh," I whispered, dropping my hands into my lap. "How long have you been sober?"

"Since the night of the funeral," she murmured. "I went to get a drink but…when I held it in my hand, all I could see was Brody. I set the drink on the bar and left. I ended up at a church where they were holding a meeting. I went back every night for weeks and just sat there, not speaking to anyone. I wanted a drink so bad, Bella, but every time I held one in my hand, I could see him, hear him begging me to stop." Lauren paused and looked away. "I was fool, Bella. It shouldn't have taken him dying to pull my head out of my ass."

"No, it shouldn't have," I muttered. "But it did."

"I had been going to AA for about two months when Tyler came in. He was our guest speaker and when he spoke, it was like he was talking directly to me. I can't get into his story because it's not mine to tell but…he understood what I was feeling. When he was done speaking, I took off out of there as fast as I could. I didn't like what he said. I barely made it out into the hall when I broke down. He had followed me out and sat on the floor with me while I told him everything from my parents to Brody…and you," she explained, looking back over at me. "I hated myself for taking him from you, Bella."

"I hated you, too," I murmured, looking around the room.

"Tyler convinced me to start therapy," said Lauren, continuing her story. "He helped me find someone I could trust enough to tell everything to. He started coming to every AA meeting I did and we became friends. He has been clean and sober for ten years and he encouraged me to keep fighting. About a year later, he and I were coming out of a meeting when he slipped his hand into mine. It wasn't unusual for him to hold my hand so I didn't really think anything about it. He drove me back to my apartment and up to my door. Again, it wasn't unusual for him to do that but this time, when I turned to thank him, there was something in his eyes. He smiled as he brought his hands up to my face and kissed me. He told me that he was in love with me and he wanted me to be his girl. I freaked out, of course." Lauren sighed as she shook her head. "I pushed him away and told him to go to hell."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I didn't think I deserved to be happy, Bella." Lauren frowned. "I killed my brother. I took him from you because I was selfish, Bella. I didn't deserve to be happy."

"Lauren," I whispered, shaking my head.

"It's true," she muttered. "But Tyler is a stubborn ass and refused to let me push him away. He sent me flowers everyday for two weeks. Every bouquet had a note with it that simply said…" Lauren trailed off as she let a tear slip down her face.

"What did they say?" I asked. Lauren wiped her tear off her face as she looked up at me.

"They said I was worth loving," she murmured. "I didn't think I was, Bella. Except for you and Brody, I had never felt love from anyone. My parents barely even knew my name much less anything about me. I threw away the love that you and Brody gave me for one more drink and I didn't even realize I was doing it until I lost you both."

"Lauren," I whispered, shaking my head.

"It's true, Bella," she said, frowning. "I wish I could go back and change so much."

"But you can't," I said, clearing my throat. "If I've learned anything, it's that you can't live in the past anymore."

"Easier said then done, though," she muttered.

"True," I said. "So he sent you flowers for two weeks, huh? Sounds like he was determined to win your heart."

"Yes," she said, smiling. "Like I said, he's stubborn. He came banging on my door one night, yelling for me to stop being a bitch. I threw my door open so I could tell him to fuck off but he pushed me into my apartment and shut the door behind him. He told me that he wasn't going to let me run and hide from him like I had from everyone else that loved me. He said if I didn't love him back that was fine, that he would settle for being my best friend but that he had to have me in his life."

"Did you know you loved him then?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, smiling. "I told him that I wanted him but that I wasn't good enough for him. He told me that I was perfect for him. He kissed me again and from that moment on, we were together."

"How long have you been married?" I asked.

"Three years," she said, quietly. "I wanted you there but I knew wouldn't come."

"No, I wouldn't have," I muttered, shaking my head. "You're happy with him?"

"Yes, I'm happy with Tyler," murmured Lauren. "Bella, I know that nothing I say or do can make up for what I did to you and Alex. I just want a chance to prove to you that I am a different person than I was six years ago."

"I know you do, Lauren." I picked up my coffee cup and drank the last of it. "I want to believe you because, I have missed you. You were my best friend before you chose booze over me and Brody."

"I'm not that Lauren anymore," she insisted. "I've gone back to school and gotten a degree in business. I haven't even looked at a drink in five years."

"That's great," I said, "but I have to think about what is good for Alex right now. He already lost his dad, even if he never knew him. He needs consistency in his life and I have to know that if I let you in that you aren't going to bail on him."

"I'm just asking for a chance," she pleaded. "Please, Bella."

"I'm not saying no, Lauren," I sighed. "I'm saying that we have to take this slow. We'll start with an afternoon at the park and see where that takes us. It's the most I can offer right now."

"I'll take it," she said, quickly. "Just tell me when and where."

"Ok, I'll give you a call next week and we can set something up," I chuckled. "He has soccer on Tuesday and Thursday evening so maybe we can look at Wednesday."

"Wednesday would be perfect," she said, smiling. "Thank you, Bella."

"Just don't make me regret this, Lauren," I muttered. "Alex is everything to me and I won't let anyone hurt him."

"I'll prove myself to you, Bella," she murmured. "I promise."

"I hope so," I sighed.

After a few more minutes of small talk, I left Lauren sitting at that table and headed out to my car. I climbed into the drivers seat and started the vehicle but just sat there for a minute. Over all my meeting with Lauren had gone much better than I had expected. I could tell that she had grown up but it was still so hard to trust her again. Only time would tell if I was making a mistake by giving her a chance to know my son. As I told Lauren, I really hoped that I wasn't going to regret it.

I shook all thoughts of Lauren out of my head. I pulled my car out of the parking space and headed over to Edward's. He had agreed to pick Alex up from school for me so I could finally sit down with her. It was just one more way that I was thankful that I had him in my life. I didn't trust anyone but him and Charlie to take care of my son.

I pulled my car into Edward's driveway a few minutes later and headed up to the front door. I had just raised my hand to knock when the door was pulled open and Edward had me in his arms, lips pressed down onto mine. I smiled against his lips before I raised my arms and wrapped them around his shoulders and kissed him back.

"Gross," muttered Alex. "They are kissing again."

I laughed as I pulled my lips from Edward's and looked over at my son. He and Anthony were sitting on the bottom step of the stairs with their hands over their eyes. However, both of them were peeking through their fingers and had huge smiles on their faces.

"Hello to you, too, my darling son," I said, laughing. "How was school?"

"Boring," he said, dropping his hands. "Why didn't you come pick me up?"

"Because I had a meeting," I said as Edward shut the door behind me. He and I went over and sat down on the couch. The boys came over and sat down next to me. "Now, tell me what you did at school."

"Mrs. Whitlock made us cut out bats and pumpkins to decorate our classroom for Halloween next week," said Alex.

"It was so boring," mumbled Anthony, falling back onto the couch. "All the girls loved it because they could decorate them anyway they wanted but us boys were bored out of our minds."

"You don't think it would be fun to decorate your classroom?" I asked.

"No," they both said at the same time.

"Hmm," I hummed, nodding my head. "Here I was thinking that we should make some Halloween cookies together."

"That would be fun!" yelled Anthony, jumping to his feet.

"Anthony, don't yell," chuckled Edward.

"Sorry," he said, dropping his voice down at least two octaves. "Can we please make cookies? Dad burns everything so we've never made them."

"Yeah, please, Mom?" begged Alex, dropping to his knees in front of me and Edward. .

Anthony followed his lead and both boys pushed their bottom lips out and pouted. I smiled as I looked from them and over to Edward, who I knew was going to be pouting. Sure enough, he had his own lip sticking out. I laughed as I fell back onto the couch.

"Ok, ok, no more pouting!" I shook my head and smiled. "We can make cookies but only on one condition."

"What?" all three of them asked.

"You have to do all the work," I smirked. "I will tell you what to do but my big, strong men will be making the cookies."

"Deal," said Alex and Anthony. All three of us looked over at Edward.

"Well?" I asked.

"Ok, but if they burn, it's not my fault," he said, snorting.

"Deal."

The four of us headed into the kitchen and started pulling out the ingredients for the sugar cookies we were going to make. I had already planned on us doing this tonight and had to make sure that Edward had everything we needed. I mean, he wasn't a cook and probably wouldn't have sugar, baking soda, or anything else and I was right. His kitchen was pretty bare.

After getting aprons on all three of them, and snapping a picture on my cell phone for blackmail purposes, I instructed them on what to do. Edward stood behind both boys and made sure they followed my instructions to the letter. Of course, they got more flour and sugar on themselves than they did in the bowl but that was the fun part of cooking.

Once we had everything mixed together, we spread out dough out on the wax paper and started cutting out our cookies. I had cookie cutters in the shape of bats, ghosts, pumpkins, and candy corn. Alex and Anthony laughed nearly the whole time. It was like hearing the sweetest symphony. We laid the cookies on the cookie sheet and put them into the oven. Alex and Anthony went upstairs to clean up while Edward and I cleaned up the kitchen. As soon as they were out of the room, Edward was up behind me and kissing the side of my neck.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"It went good," I murmured, turning in his arms. "I'm going to meet her at the park next week sometime. Do you think Anthony could come with us? It might make it easier on Alex."

"I'm sure he can." Edward smiled and kissed me again. "I missed you today."

"I missed you, too," I murmured. I leaned in and pressed my lips against his again.

"Dad, stop kissing her," whined Anthony. Edward laughed as he pulled back and looked down at our sons.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because you are going to take all her kisses," he muttered, turning red. "That wouldn't be fair."

"Anthony?" I asked.

"What?" he asked, looking over at me.

"Do you want a kiss?" I asked, smiling at him. His eyes went wide and he smiled as he shook his head no. "I don't believe you."

"I don't," he said, laughing. Edward chuckled as he stepped back, freeing me from his arms. Alex snapped his head over to his best friend.

"Run for it, Anthony," he urged. "She's going to kiss you."

Anthony laughed as he took off toward the living room. I giggled as I took off after him. He screeched when he realized I was coming after him and took off upstairs. Alex was yelling at him to run faster while Edward was holding him back. Anthony ran into his bedroom and jumped on his bed. I climbed on next to him and planted a big kiss to his cheek.

"Gross," he grumbled, but he was smiling the whole time.

"You want another one?" I asked.

"No," he said, quietly. "Bella?"

"What, sweetheart?" I asked, pushing his hair out of his face.

"Thank you for teaching us how to make cookies," he said. "I've always wanted to make them."

"You're welcome," I said, smiling at him. He reaching up and hugged me.

"You're the best mom in the whole world," he whispered. "I wish you were my mom."

I looked up at the door and saw Edward and Alex standing there, smiles on their faces. "Me too," I whispered, back. "Me too."

**Thank you for all the reviews. I am sorry for the delay but this week has been hectic. I have a pretty busy week ahead of me as well so if I can't get an update up, please be patient with me. **


	26. Chapter 26

I woke up the Wednesday of following week feeling very nervous about the day. Alex and I were meeting Lauren at the park after school and I was afraid that I was making the wrong decision about letting her into Alex's life. I knew it was something I needed to do but I was terrified of making the wrong decision. What if she hurt him? God, being a parent was so hard sometimes.

I climbed out of my bed and shuffled down the hall to Alex's bedroom. Gently pushing his bedroom door open, I looked over and saw him fast asleep. He was curled up under his covers, clutching the snake that Edward had bought him at the zoo. He had become so attached to that stuffed snake. His blond hair was sticking to his forehead and his small chest was heaving up and down with every breath he took.

I smiled to myself as I crossed his room and sat down on the side of his bed, gently placing my hand on his shoulder. I hated waking him up when he was so peaceful but he had to go to school. I gently shook his shoulder, and whispered for him to wake up. He groaned and rolled away from me. I laughed softly as I brought my fingers down to his ribs.

"Alex, wake up," I sang.

"No," he muttered. I started tickling him, causing him to start laughing hysterically. "Momma, stop it!"

"Then you have to get up," I said, laughing and skimming my fingers along his rib cage.

"Ok, ok," he screeched, climbing out of his bed. "That was mean, Momma."

"You'll live," I said, indifferently as I stood up. "Get ready for school."

"Fine," he muttered.

I smiled as I walked out of Alex's room and down the hallway to my bedroom. While he got ready for school, I changed into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve grey t-shirt. I slipped on my socks and shoes and headed downstairs to make him some breakfast. Alex came in a few minutes later, wearing a pair of jeans and an Iron Man t-shirt that Charlie had insisted that he had to have. My father loved to spoil that boy completely rotten.

"What sounds good for breakfast, sweetie?" I asked, pulling open the fridge and pulling out the orange juice.

"Um," said Alex, thinking about his options. "Can I have some French toast?"

"Of course, you can."

While I made us both a couple slices of French toast, Alex colored in his Spiderman coloring book. He was almost that the end and I was going to have to pick him up a new one. I cut his breakfast up and we quickly ate, trying not to get it all over us. I rinsed the dishes while Alex went and brushed his teeth and got his backpack ready for school. Once he had everything, we headed out to the car and down to the school.

Edward and Anthony climbed out of their car at the same time that Alex and I did. The boys took off running, as they always did, while Edward slipped his arm around my waist and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. I would never get tired of his kisses.

"Good morning," I murmured.

"Morning," he whispered, kissing me again. "How was your night?"

"Good," I said, yawning. "I stayed up too late last night writing, though. I was just in a groove and hated to stop but when I started misspelling every word I typed, I knew it was bedtime. How was yours?"

"Not nearly as productive," he chuckled. "I developed the film from the Murphy shoot but most of the pictures were crap."

"I'm sure they weren't," I said as we rounded the corner. The boys were standing with Anna and Angela, who was talking to Alice.

"Ben is gone until next week, which means missing out on trick or treating on Friday. He's torn up about it. You know how much he loved Halloween," said Angela, shaking her head.

"I do," sighed Alice. "You'll just have to make sure to get plenty of pictures."

"It's not the same, though," muttered Angela.

"I know it's not," said Alice, patting her on the back. She looked around at all the kids. "Ok, kiddos, let's get us some learning done."

I hugged both Alex and Anthony before they headed into their classroom, ignoring the smirk that was sitting on Alice's lips. In fact, Edward and I both ignore her smirk as we turned and headed out to the parking lot. I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the day with Edward, holding him and kissing him, but I couldn't. I had work to do and so did he so I kissed him a couple times before I climbed into my car and headed back to the house.

I spent all morning rereading the chapter of my book that I had been working on last night. It was appalling how many errors I had, good thing I went over it before I sent it to Tanya. She would probably think that I was completely losing it and tell me the book deal was off. After a quick lunch of leftover chicken spaghetti, I started paying some bills. That was what I was doing when the phone rang.

"Hello," I said, answering the phone.

"Hey, Bells," said Charlie. "What are you up to?"

"Paying bills," I grumbled. "What are you doing?"

"Fixing to head into work," he said, sighing. "How long until I can retire?"

"A thousand more years," I teased.

"Feels about like it," he said, laughing.

"So, what do you want?" I asked, leaning back in my seat.

"Can't a father call his daughter without having a motive?" he asked.

"Not you," I said, dryly.

"Ok, so I was hoping that maybe you and Edward would let me take the boys fishing this weekend," he said, quickly.

"Where?" I asked.

"Here in Forks," he muttered. I sighed, quite loudly, in fact. "Oh, Bella, stop being a drama queen."

"Dad," I groaned.

"Please, Bella?" he asked, pleading with me. I didn't have to see his face to know that he was pouting. "I'll do anything but I really want to take them fishing. I think they would love it. Plus, you and Edward could use some alone time."

"I'll talk to Edward about it but he may not feel comfortable with you taking Anthony all the way to Forks," I said, shaking my head.

"I know but I thought I would at least ask. I want to spend some time with my grandsons," he replied. I smiled as he referred to Anthony as his. "Just talk to him, ok?"

"Ok, I will," I promised. "You had better get to work, old man."

"I am not old," he grumbled. "I'm just older."

"Whatever you say, Dad," I snickered. "Love you."

"Love you, too," he said, laughing. "Give the boys a hug from me."

"I will." I smiled. "Bye."

"Bye."

Later that afternoon, I climbed back into my car and headed down to the school to pick up the boys. Edward had agreed to let me take Anthony to the park with Alex. I hoped that it would make this easier for him, even if he didn't know that Lauren was his aunt. He needed to be told but I wasn't sure how he would take the news that he had had an aunt out there all this time but that I had kept him away from her. Honestly, I was terrified that if I did tell him, that he would hate me. The thought of my son hating me made my heart ache.

I parked my car in the parking lot and headed over to the gate to wait for Christina to open them. Emmett was leaning against the wall with his cell phone out and pecking at the keys with an aggravated expression on his face. Obviously, he didn't text much.

"Hey, Bella," he said, looking up at me and smiling.

"Hey, Emmett," I said, quietly. He cocked an eyebrow at me.

"You ok?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind," I said, smiling. "How's work going?"

"Still plenty of dirt bags for me to arrest," he chuckled. I laughed with him and shook my head. "We've actually been pretty busy. Halloween means lots of kids out vandalizing private property."

"I can remember my dad dragging more than one punk into the station back in Forks for spray painting the side of the school or one of the billboards outside of town," I said.

"We get more kids breaking into abandoned houses and busting out the windows," said Emmett, shrugging his shoulders. "They think just because they are abandoned that they can do whatever the heck they want."

"How long have you been a cop?" I asked.

"Five years," he smiled.

"Do you like it?" I asked.

"Most of the time," he said, pocketing his cell phone. "But I miss out on a lot of time with my family and I hate that. Sometimes, I think it would be better if I found a different line of work."

"Maybe," I smiled as Christina opened the gate, "but what would you do?"

"Become a ninja," smirked Emmett, winking at me.

"You are strange man, Emmett," I said, laughing.

"I know, Bella," he sighed. "It's not easy being me."

"I'm sure it's not."

Once Alice had let the kids out, I loaded both of the boys into the backseat of my car. They were so excited about going to the park that they were shaking. I climbed in behind the wheel of my car and headed out of the parking lot and down to the park. Lauren was already there when I pulled up. I took a deep breath and climbed out of the car. I got the boys unloaded and the three of us headed over to where she was waiting, nervously rubbing her belly.

"Hey," she said, quietly as she watched us approach.

"Hi, Lauren," I murmured. I knelt down between the boys. "Boys, do you remember Lauren from Anna's birthday party?"

"Yes," they both muttered, stepping a little closer to me.

"She's going to hang out at the park with me while you two play. Is that ok?" I asked.

"Yes," they both muttered again and looked over at me.

"Can we go play now?" asked Alex.

"Sure, just stay where you can see me."

The boys looked back at Lauren before they took off toward the equipment. Lauren watched Alex the entire time with a smile on her face. "He looks so much like Brody."

"More everyday," I murmured. Lauren and I headed over and sat down on one of the benches so we could watch them.

"What's the other boy's name?" asked Lauren.

"Anthony," I said, smiling. "He and Alex are best friends. I thought it might make it easier if he had a friend here."

"Good thinking," she said, watching them play on the monkey bars. "He's your friend's son?"

"My boyfriend's son," I muttered. I kept my eyes on the boys but I felt Lauren look over at me.

"Oh."

"Lauren-"

"No, it's none of my business, Bella," muttered Lauren. I looked over at her.

"It's new," I explained. "And-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me," said Lauren, shortly. She turned and looked back at the boys. "Besides, Brody wouldn't have wanted you to be alone."

"I still love Brody, Lauren," I whispered. She looked back over at me.

"I know you do." She smiled. "But you love you love this man you are with now, don't you?"

I turned away as I felt my face turn bright red. Lauren could always see right through me. "I think I do."

"Will you tell me about him?" she asked. I looked over and found her smiling at me.

"His name is Edward," I started. "He's a single dad, so he gets it. We started out as friends and it evolved into more. It scares the crap out of me."

"Why?" she asked, turning and facing me.

"Because I don't want to lose him, too," I murmured, feeling my eyes fill up with tears. I turned away as I tried to stop them from falling.

"Momma, come chase us!" yelled Alex.

I smiled and looked over at Lauren before I got up and started chasing the boys around the ground. They would squeal and run up the slide, trying to get away from me. I would grab a foot or manage to catch one of them before I let them go and we started the cycle over again. Alex and Anthony's smiles grew bigger every time I caught them and I was starting to think that they were purposely letting me catch them just so that I would kiss them.

"Ok, five more minutes and then we are leaving," I said, trying to catch my breath. I fanned myself as I went back over and sat down next to Lauren, who was laughing heartedly. "I don't know where they store all that energy."

"If you could bottle it, you would be a rich woman," said Lauren, placing her hand on her belly. "I hope I'm half the mother you are, Bella." I looked over at her. "You've done an amazing job with him."

"Thank you," I murmured, looking back at the boys. "He makes it easy. I'm sure you will be a good mother, Lauren. Better than your own, anyway."

"Wouldn't take much to be better than her," muttered Lauren, darkly.

"Alex has a soccer game here Saturday morning," I said, quietly as I watched the boys going down the slide together. "You should come and watch him play."

"Are you sure?" she asked. I smiled and looked over at Lauren.

"Yes," I said. "But you should know that Charlie will be there."

"I'll be here," murmured Lauren. I nodded my head as I stood up.

"Boys, let's go," I called. They were laughing as they came over to us, covered in grim and sweat. I looked over at Lauren. "So, I guess we'll see you Saturday. Game starts at eleven."

"Ok," said Lauren, smiling as she looked down at Alex and Anthony. "Thank you for letting me hang out with you today."

"Welcome," muttered Alex, scooting into me.

"Ok, well, let's get into the car, boys," I said, clearing my throat.

After biding Lauren goodbye, I followed the boys over to the car and got them loaded inside. I climbed in behind the wheel and pulled my seatbelt on. I started the car and watched as Lauren drove off. I wasn't sure why I felt the need to explain my relationship with Edward to her. It wasn't any of her business. I shook my head and headed to Edward's house.

As soon as I had the car in park, the boys were out of it. They ran into the house, laughing, while I followed them in. Edward was standing in the living room with two boys plastered to his body and a huge smile on his face.

"I'm just going to take a guess and say that you had fun at the park," said Edward.

"Yep," I smirked. "I chased these two little knuckle heads all over the place, didn't I?"

Anthony laughed. "She kept kissing us and it was so gross."

"You loved it," I scoffed.

"Did not," he smirked, looking back at me. I cocked an eyebrow at him and puckered my lips back up. "Ok, I did, just don't do it again."

"That's what I thought," I chuckled.

"I'm starving," whined Anthony, looking over at me. "What's for dinner?"

"I was thinking we could order a pizza," said Edward, looking between the boys. "Does that sound good?"

"Can we have cheese?" asked Alex, smiling.

"You bet," said Edward, setting them down. "But only after you both go clean up. You smell like the park."

Both boys grumbled but headed upstairs to wash the outdoors off of them. I followed Edward into the kitchen and sat down at the table while he called in our order to our favorite little pizza joint. He placed the phone down on the counter and came over and took the seat next to me, pulling my legs up into his lap.

"So how'd it go with Lauren?" he asked.

"It went good, I guess," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "I don't know, it was weird. She asked about you and Anthony and I felt like I had to defend us to her. She kept saying that I didn't but I still felt like I did."

"Oh," murmured Edward, placing his hands on my legs. "Do you feel like you and I shouldn't be together or something?"

"God, Edward, that's not what I meant," I said, quickly. He looked up at me and cocked an eyebrow. "I just meant that I don't want her to think that I don't love Brody still. Even though…" I trailed off as I caught myself before I spouted out that I loved. "Brody will always be a part of my life, just like Sarah is a part of yours. Does that make sense?"

"Of course it does, Bella," said Edward, sighing. "You don't have to explain to her why you and I are together. If she can't accept that you've moved on, then she doesn't deserve a place in your life, or Alex's."

"I know that logically," I muttered.

"When is the pizza going to be here?" asked Anthony as he and Alex came into the kitchen. They both had dirt streaks on their faces from where they tried to clean their faces with their dirty hands.

"Soon." I laughed and stood up. "Let's see if we can get those faces a little cleaner."

Both boys grumbled but let me wash their faces with a paper towel. The pizzas arrived a few minutes later and the four of us crowded up on the couches in the living room, ate our pizza, and watched television. Edward slipped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. He leaned over and kissed my temple, silently telling me that everything was going to be ok.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I know there has been quite the delay in this chapter but real life crept up on me and…yeah. Things are much calmer now so I should be able to get caught up. Big thanks to timidvampire for being my ears over this chapter. **


	27. Chapter 27

**EPOV**

"Well?" asked Anthony, placing his hands on his hips much the way his Aunt Ali does when she was asking my opinion on what she was wearing. "Aren't you going to say something?"

"There is something missing," I said, bringing my coffee cup up to my lips. I took a sip and sighed inwardly. Damn, that was some good coffee.

"What is missing?" asked Anthony, throwing his hands up.

"Your shoes," I smirked. Anthony looked down at his sock clad feet. "Can't go to school without shoes."

"I knew I was forgetting something," he muttered, stomping up the stairs.

"Stop stomping those feet," I yelled as I headed back into the kitchen.

Today was Friday, October thirty-first, Halloween, and it was looking to be a stress filled day. Anthony had dragged me out of bed at the ass crack of dawn and insisted that I make him breakfast before he got dressed so he wouldn't get anything on his Spiderman costume. I wasn't ready to get up, though. I had been having a nice dream about Bella and the way her lips felt wrapped around my-

"Dad, we're going to be late!" yelled Anthony. I sighed and placed my cup in the sink.

"Stop yelling at me," I said, scolding him. "I am the parent, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember getting the memo," he muttered, grabbing his backpack.

"What memo?"

"It's an expression, Dad."

"Oh, ok."

I laughed as I followed my crazy son out to the car. He got buckled into his car seat and pulled on his mask. He and Alex had been very excited about today because they were both dressing up as Spiderman. They said they would be the Spiderman twins. Both Bella and I laughed but, secretly, I think we were both getting a little sick and damn tired of Spiderman. They both were a little too obsessed with the character.

I parked my car and climbed out, getting Anthony out of his seat. We had just stepped up onto the sidewalk when Bella and Alex pulled up. She climbed out of the car, looking like she had just been through the war. Her hair was pulled up into a make-shift bun but there were lumps and pieces sticking out. Her shirt was covered in flour. In fact, I think she had some in her hair. She had never looked more beautiful.

"Don't look at me," she muttered, turning from me. "I look horrible."

"You look beautiful," I said, smiling at her. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her. "And yummy."

"Ugh, I know you didn't just say that," she groaned, ducking her head into my chest. "I'm going to kill your sister for getting me into this."

"It's not so bad," I laughed. Bella looked up and glared at me.

"I was up at five, Edward," she said, harshly. "Alice wanted me to make muffins for everyone so I did. Then she wanted cupcakes. It was too late to call any of the other parents so who got stuck making them? I did. I'm tired. I stink and…and…"

"Shhh, Baby," I said, pulling her against my chest even tighter. "It's ok."

"No, it's not," she muttered.

"Um, Edward, is she ok?" asked Alex. "She's been like this all morning."

"She's fine, Alex," I smiled. "Just a little tired."

"A lot tired," she muttered against my chest.

"A lot tired," I said, echoing her.

"Girls are so weird," muttered Alex, following Anthony as we headed into the school.

"Yeah, and you boys aren't weird," snorted Bella.

I stifled my laughter at the two of them and led Bella, who was stumbled around next to me, to the boys' classroom. My sister had better be thankful for how much Bella has done for this party or I might have to give her a wedgie and I haven't had to give her one of those in a long time. Alice threw open her classroom door with a huge smile on her face. Bella muttered something into my chest that sounded a lot like 'fucking annoying pixie' but I might have just been hearing things.

"Bella, is everything set for the party this afternoon?" asked Alice. Bella leaned her head up and glared at Alice, but being the person my sister is, Alice didn't even let her phase her at all.

"Yes, Mrs. Whitlock," said Bella, harshly. "I have all your muffins in the container that Alex has. Your cupcakes will be here and everyone else had better have brought their stuff or better be bringing it because if they don't, I swear I will kick-"

"Everything is ready, Alice," I said, covering Bella's mouth with my hand before she said something inappropriate in front of the kids.

"Great," cheered Alice, causing Bella to growl from behind my hand. "We'll see you at two o'clock then."

Bella started muttering something as I turned her and pulled her away from the classroom of young, impressionable children. Angela was following us with an amused look on her face. She clearly thought Bella's meltdown was funny but knew enough to at least not let Bella see her laughing. I pulled Bella over to my car and opened the passenger side door.

"Get in," I said.

"I can't," she frowned. "I have to work and clean my kitchen."

"No, you are coming over to my house and taking a nap," I said, pushing her into the seat. She didn't fight me at all as I lifted her legs and placed them inside the car.

"But-"

"No buts," I said. "You need a nap, love, and besides, we are going to have a long afternoon and an even bigger night trick or treating with the boys. You had better get some sleep now."

"Ugh, trick or treating," she whined, letting her head fall back onto the headrest. "Do we have to?"

"Are you going to be the one to tell them that we aren't going?" I asked.

"That's not fair," she muttered. "They would just pout until I gave in, anyway."

"Yes, they would," I chuckled, shutting the door.

Bella leaned her head against the window of the car as I drove us to my house. She had her eyes closed and a soft smile playing on her lips. I parked in the driveway and ran around to her side, helping her out. She smiled a huge smile as she placed her hand in mine and let me pull her out of the car. I slipped my arm around her waist as we headed inside the house. I took her straight to my bedroom and pushed her on the bed, pulling off her tennis shoes.

Bella pulled the rubber band out of her hair, letting her hair fall around her shoulders. She peeked up at me from behind her lashed and my cock sprang to attention and started begging to be released. That woman was driving me insane with her sexy yet innocent eyes. I kicked off my shoes and climbed onto the bed next to her. She rolled over so that she was curled up around me, letting her hand rest on my chest and I resisted the urge to push her hand down to my cock and beg her to touch me. Bella sighed as she nestled herself next to me and drifted off to sleep. I smiled as I pulled the blanket over the two of us and fell asleep with her, holding the woman I loved in my arms. It was nice to hold someone again.

When I woke up, I was alone. I was starting to think that I had just dreamed that Bella came home with me after taking the boys to school when I was hit by the most delicious smell I had ever smelled. Fresh apple pie. I scrambled out my bed and scurried downstairs. I stopped short when I saw Bella standing in my kitchen with an apron on. She looked like she belonged here. Like she had always been here. She looked back at me and smiled.

"Hey."

"Hi," I said, moving over and wrapping my arms around her waist. "You were supposed to be sleeping."

"I did sleep for a couple of hours but I got hungry," she explained, turning in my arms. "You didn't have a lot of food but I did find a frozen apple pie in the freezer so I popped it in. I hope that was okay."

I smiled and brought my lips down onto hers. "You are more than welcome to cook anything in my house, baby. I've been scared to bake the pie in case I burned it."

"You would not have burned it." Bella laughed, bringing her arms up and wrapping them around my neck. "I have faith in you."

"If you say so," I chuckled. "Are you feeling more relaxed?"

"For now," she sighed. "I was being kind of crazy this morning, huh?"

"A little," I said, scrunching up my face. "But in your defense, I know just how demanding my sister can be."

"I just want their party to be perfect," muttered Bella. "It's their first school party."

"It will be."

"I know, I know," she sighed, throwing her head back. "Ok, I'm not going to think about it anymore."

"Yeah, right," I laughed, kissing the side of her neck. "But that's ok, baby, because I happen to love how obsessive you are about the small details."

"Obsessive?" she asked, laughing. I leaned back and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Ok, so I'm a little OCD about things."

"A little," I snorted. Bella laughed and pushed me away. "Don't be like that."

"Be like what?" she asked.

"I really do love that part of you, you know," I smiled, pulling her back into my arms. "It's one of my favorite things about you."

"That would be sweet if it didn't sound a little nuts," said Bella, returning my smile.

"I know, right?" I sighed. "How much longer until the pie is ready?"

"About half an hour. Why?"

"Well," I said, pushing her into one of the chairs at the table, "I'm going to make us some lunch."

"You?" she asked, slowly.

"Sandwiches," I clarified. "I'm going to make us a sandwich."

"Oh, ok," she smiled, propping her feet up on one of the other chairs. "Get to it, slave boy."

I laughed heartedly as I grabbed the turkey, cheese, lettuce and mayo from the fridge. I quickly made us each a sandwich. I lifted Bella's feet off the chair and placed them in my lap and started eating. I barely stopped the moan that came out of my lips when I watched the way her lips wrapped around her food. Fuck, I was so goddamn hard now.

Bella laughed as she finished her sandwich and stood up. She brushed her breasts across my arm as she walked past me. I, of course being the perverted man I was, watched as she bent over and pulled the apple pie out of the oven and ogled her ass. She looked back at me, catching my staring at her with lustful eyes.

"My eyes are up here," she sang.

"I know," I growled, adjusting myself. "Baby, you are so fucking sexy."

"Am I?" she asked, moving over and straddling my lap.

"Yes," I moaned, dropping my head onto her shoulder. "You know it, too."

"I do," she laughed, gripping my hair in her hands and pulled my head back. "If we had more time, I would make it up to you but I really want some pie before we have to back to the boys' school."

"Stupid, delicious smelling pie," I muttered as Bella climbed off my lap. Bella laughed as she cut us both a piece.

After we finished our food. Bella and I headed back to the school. She had brushed through her hair and washed her face. Overall she looked much happier and more relaxed than she did this morning. We stopped by her house so she could change into some clean clothes and grab everything she had for the party. I will admit that I was shocked at how much she had.

She had chocolate cupcakes with orange and purple frosting on them. Each cupcake had a plastic spider ring in them. The kids were going to love that. She had a huge box of party favors that included bubbles, plastic vampire teeth, silly putty, and rubber skeletons. There were also Halloween cups for each kid with their names on them and they were filled with candy. She had certainly outdone herself.

When we got to the school, the two of us carried everything inside. Alice had the kids sitting on the carpet while they watched a movie. Angela was already there and was helping Alice, and one of the other moms, Maria, decorate the tables with plastic table cloths, paper plates with huge orange pumpkins on them and matching cups and napkins.

By the time the movie was over, we had all the kids plates filled with carrot sticks, celery, grapes, and apples slices. They all laughed and talked while they munched on their food. Alex, Anthony, and Anna were sitting at a table together on the far side of the classroom. Anna was dressed up as Mary Jane from Spiderman, something that I didn't think was a big coincidence but I didn't say anything.

"Who wants a cupcake?" asked Bella, smiling as she stood in front of all of them.

"ME!" they all squealed.

Angela and I laughed as Bella and Alex started passing out the cupcakes. I couldn't help but notice how Bella's smile grew more and more as she interacted with all the kids. She was a natural with them.

"Oh, Edward, you have it bad," said Angela, just loud enough for me to hear her. I looked over at her. She was watching me with a huge smirk on her face. "She has you completely wrapped around her little finger."

"That she does," I admitted.

"It's nice to see you smiling so much," said Angela, patting my arm.

"It feels good," I muttered, turning so that I was facing her. "I…I don't think I can live without her or Alex."

"Do you love her?" whispered Angela.

"I do," I murmured.

"Have you told her?" whispered Angela.

"No," I muttered. "If she doesn't feel the same…" I shook my head. Just the thought of her not feeling the same way, hurt.

"Oh, Edward, you are clueless," she said, laughing quietly. "She loves you."

"You can't know that," I muttered.

I heard Bella laugh and looked over to see her kneeling down next to the boys. She had a hand on both of their backs and they had an arm around her neck, blowing wet kisses onto her cheeks. She looked up and caught my eye, causing her smile to grow even bigger as she blushed a soft pink.

"Edward, look at how happy she is right now," whispered Angela. "Look at how much she smiles now compared to how she did just two months ago when school started. That's because of you and Anthony. Just like you and Anthony smile and laugh more because of her and Alex."

"You really think so?" I asked, looking down at Angela.

"Yes, I do," she said, smiling. "You need to tell her how you feel."

"Maybe," I muttered, looking back at Bella. "Just maybe."

Later that evening, Bella and I loaded the boys up into my car and headed over to my parents house. We promised Carlisle and Esme that they would be our first stop on our way to trick or treat. The boys jumped out of the car before I even had the engine cut and were on the porch before Bella and I were even out of the car. The door was pulled open and my mother, god bless her soul, started squealing when she saw the boys standing in front of her and my father with their matching Spiderman costumes on.

"Trick or treat," the boys said.

"My sweet boys," she sighed, hugging them both. "You look fabulous."

"Thank you, Nana," said Anthony from behind his mask. "Do you have candy for us?"

"I do," giggled Esme. She reached behind the door and pulled out two small pumpkins that looked like they were filled to the brim with nothing but candy.

"When they are bouncing off the walls because of all that candy, I am bringing them here," muttered Bella, turning to me.

"I'll help," I said, winking at her. Bella laughed and looked back at the boys.

"What do you say, boys?" she asked.

"Thank you, Nana and Papa," they said in perfect unison.

"You're welcome," laughed Carlisle. He looked over at Bella. "We made sure that none of the candy we got them had peanuts in them since Alex is allergic."

"Oh, well, thanks," said Bella, smiling at him. "I appreciate that."

"Let's go to the next house," whined Alex.

"Ok, ok," I said, placing a hand on both of their backs and looked at my parents. "We'll see you in the morning at the game, right?"

"We'll be there," smiled Esme.

Bella and I the next couple of hours taking the boys from house to house. They were polite and said thank you every time someone gave them some candy. Throughout the night we saw Emmett, Rose, and Elliott, who was dressed like a cop, Angela and Anna, who had changed into a princess dress, Jasper, Alice, and Ivy, who was a beautiful little ladybug, and Garrett, Kate, and Mattie, who was dressed like vampire girl.

By the time we made it back to Bella's house, both of the boys were passed out in the backseat. I parked behind Bella's car and cut the engine. I helped her get Alex into the house and into his bed, placing a kiss on his forehead. Bella walked me back out to my car and kissed me before I climbed in and headed home. I got Anthony into his bed without waking him up. As I climbed into my bed, my cell phone went off letting me know I had a new text message. I picked it up and saw that it was from Bella.

**_E-just wanted to tell you goodnight and sweet dreams-B_**

_B-My dreams will be of you, so they will be sweet. Goodnight-E_

**Thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate them all so keep them coming.**


	28. Chapter 28

**BPOV**

"_Mom, watch us," yelled Alex.. _

"_I am," I laughed, watching him._

_Anthony, Alex, and Edward were playing soccer at the same park where they play their games. Alex and Anthony were trying to steal the ball from Edward, who was laughing as he moved away from them. I was sitting on the ground, watching my boys playing. They were so fun to watch, especially when they were being so carefree._

"_May I join you?" _

_I looked up and saw an incredibly beautiful woman with long blond hair and the brightest pair of blue eyes that I had ever seen. She was maybe an inch or so taller than I was and had light ivory skin that almost glowed in the sunlight. She smiled even bigger as she waited for me to say something. I smiled as I nodded my head at her. She floated down to the ground next to me and looked over at Alex, Anthony, and Edward._

"_They look like they are having fun," she said, still smiling._

"_Yeah, they love soccer," I said. "I think they would play all day, if I let them."_

"_He's good for them," she murmured. She sighed wistfully and looked back over at me. "And they are good for you."_

"_What?" I asked, confused. She shook her head and looked back over at the boys._

"_I miss them," she sighed. _

_I followed her gaze and saw her watching Anthony, who had just kicked the black and white soccer ball past Edward. Anthony looked over at me and waved, eyes sparkling with excitement. I gasped as I realized who the woman sitting next to me was. She looked back over at me with tears shimmering in her eyes. The same shaped eyes that sat on Anthony's face. _

"_Sarah?" I asked, breathlessly. She nodded and looked back over at them._

"_He's a handsome little boy, isn't he?" she asked. "He looks just like Edward."_

"_No, he looks like you," I murmured, pulling my knees up._

"_Perhaps in the eyes but the rest he got from his father," she laughed. "Including his stubbornness."_

"_I don't mind stubbornness," I muttered, looking over at Alex._

"_No, I suppose you don't," she smiled. "Alex is a very sweet little boy. It makes me happy that Anthony has such a good friend."_

"_Um, thanks," I said, quietly._

"_It's been awhile since I've seen him smiling so much," she murmured. I looked back at her. "Edward, I mean. I think Anthony was born with a smile on his face."_

"_I'm not sure what I am supposed to say," I muttered._

"_I just want them to be happy, Bella," she said, softly. "You make them happy."_

"_But?" I asked._

"_No buts," she laughed before turning serious. "Just promise me that you will always love them, Bella."_

"_I promise," I said, quietly. "I know that I'm not Anthony's mother-"_

"_Aren't you?" she asked. "You take care of him, cook for him, love him. It seems to me that you are very much Anthony's mother. You're exactly the mom he needs."_

"_I'm not you," I argued._

"_Nobody expects you to be me," she smiled. "They expect you to be you and you are the woman who loves her children, both of them, and their father very much."_

_Alex laughed and I looked back at him. Edward had him on his shoulders while Anthony was wrapped around his left leg. All three of them were laughing so hard I wasn't sure how they were even standing. Edward looked right at me and smiled, clearly loving the time he was having with our boys. I looked back over at Sarah._

"_I'll tell him you said hello," she whispered, standing up._

"_Who?" I asked._

"_He told me I would know you the moment I saw your eyes. I have to say that he was right. It's like when I look into your baby brown eyes, I can see my soul," she mused, smiling. My mouth feel open. I don't know how many times Brody commented on my soulful baby browns, as he called them. "Don't forget your promise, Bella, and take care of your boys."_

_Sarah looked back at the boys and Edward once more before she turned and walked away. The sun shifted from behind the clouds and I had to turn away from the sheer brightness. When I looked back, she was gone. _

I snapped my eyes open as my alarm clock started beeping in my ear. My hand swung over and slammed down on the snooze button but I don't remember making the decision to turn off my alarm. I sat up in my bed and took a much needed deep breath. Did I just dream that Edward's dead wife gave me the okay to love him and Anthony? Why did it not feel like a dream but something more? Something much more than just a dream.

"I'm going fucking crazy," I muttered.

I threw the covers off of me and climbed out of my bed, still trying to wrap my head around whatever in the hell had just happened to me. I stumbled my way down the hallway to Alex's room. As I pushed open his bedroom door, I found my son curled up in his bed with the covers tucked in under his chin. I leaned against the doorframe of his room and thought about the dream or whatever I had just had. Was it possible that Brody had sent Sarah to me? Of course, that was just the kind of thing he would do. I really was going fucking insane.

I tried to push all thoughts of the crazy dream out of my head as I went over and woke Alex up. He groaned and tried to hide under the blanket but I tickled his sides and he bolted out of his bed, muttering about me being a cheater. I ignored his whininess and told him to get ready for his game. His face broke out into a huge smile and he started stripping off his Halloween costume from the night before.

I left him alone to get ready and headed back down to my bedroom and took a quick shower. I pulled on my favorite jeans and black and red team shirt. Edward insisted that I needed one to show support to the boys. On the front was a soccer ball that had flames flying off of it. The back said 'Team Mom.' I dried my hair and pulled it up into a ponytail before slipping on my tennis shoes.

When I got downstairs I found Alex sitting on the couch with his soccer bag and ball sitting in his lap. He had his black and red shirt tucked into his black shorts. He had red socks on and his black cleats with the shoestrings hanging down on either side. His blond hair was sticking up in the back and hanging low in his blue eyes.

"About time for a haircut, little man," I smiled, moving over and tying his shoes.

"I don't want one," he whined.

"I know but your hair is starting to hang into your eyes and I kind of like seeing your eyes," I said. He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"I still don't want one," he muttered. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You are getting one next week and that is the end of it, Mister," I said, firmly. Alex sighed and dropped his arms, knowing that I was winning this battle. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Nothing," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't feel good."

"What's wrong?" I asked, bringing my hand up to his face. He didn't feel warm.

"My stomach feels funny," he whispered, leaning into my hand.

"Have you thrown up?" I asked, pulling him into my lap. He shook his head as he laid his head on my shoulder. "Do you need to go potty?"

"No," he muttered.

"Maybe you shouldn't play in your game," I whispered. Alex shot up and glared at me.

"I have to play," he demanded. "My team needs me."

"But, sweetie, if you aren't feeling good, then you shouldn't play," I explained.

"No, Momma," he said, firmly. "I am going to play. I am a member of the team and they count on me."

"Alexander," I sighed, shaking my head.

"Please, Momma," he begged. "I bet I am just nervous."

"Ok, but if you start to feel worse you have to tell Edward," I said. "Deal?"

"Deal," he said, nodding his head.

"Ok, let's get you some juice and crackers," I sighed, setting him back on the couch.

He managed to eat a few crackers and drink about half of his juice but I could tell that he wasn't very hungry and I knew not to push him to eat more than he was able to. I still wasn't sure I should let him play but it was important to him and I understood that. Once it was time to leave, we headed out and climbed into the car. I watched him through the rearview mirror as I drove. Maybe it was just the momma bear in me but I didn't like it when he wasn't feeling well. It made me nervous that something more was wrong with him but I also knew it was important to him to play and I wouldn't deny him that.

I parked behind Edward's car and we climbed out. Alex put his best smile on his face as he grabbed his bag from me and took off running across the park. I sighed inwardly as I followed him. Maybe it was just nerves. Alex ran out onto the field were Edward and Anthony were kicking the ball back and forth. Scenes from the dream I had flashed through my mind and a chill rocketed through me. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself.

"Bella, are you ok?" asked Esme, placing her hand on my shoulder. I shook my head as I looked over at her.

"I'm fine," I said, quietly. "Just got a chill for a moment there."

"Don't you hate that," she sighed, smiling. She looked over to where the boys were. "Did they have fun trick or treating last night?"

"They did," I said. "They got way too much candy and I had to take a good portion of it out of Alex's bag because of his allergy but he will have enough to last him the rest of the year, I think."

"Do you have trouble managing his allergy?" asked Esme as we headed over to find a place to sit.

"Not anymore," I said. "I learned to be very careful about what he eats or comes into contact with. I don't really want to see him have another reaction."

"Pretty ugly, huh?" she asked.

I nodded my head. "He almost died," I muttered. "Charlie and I were lucky to get him to the ER in time but his throat had already start to close in and he was going into shock. He was only two years old."

"Oh, dear," gasped Esme. "I can't imagine how scary that was."

"Worst moment of my life," I murmured, closing my eyes. I took a deep breath and looked over at her. "Sorry, I don't like to think about that day."

"Don't be sorry," she said, smiling.

We set up our chairs and settled in. Slowly, Alice, Carlisle, Rose, Kate, and Angela joined us. I kept looking back for Charlie or Lauren but I didn't see them. Edward, Emmett, Garrett, Jasper, and Ben had the kids out on the field, stretching. Alex was standing next to Edward and I wondered how he was feeling. I stood up and looked down at everyone.

"I'll be right back," I said.

They all just smiled as I headed over to the side of the field. Edward looked over at me and I motioned for him to come over. He said something to Emmett before he ran over to me. His hair was flopping in his eyes, too. Maybe he could help me get Alex to get his hair cut with less fuss than normal.

"Hey, beautiful," he smiled. I blushed which just caused him to smile wider.

"Hey," I murmured. "Alex wasn't feeling very good this morning. He said his stomach hurt but insisted on playing today. Watch him and make sure he is okay."

"Did he get sick?" asked Edward, frowning.

"No, he just said his stomach felt funny," I said. "I tried to tell him that he shouldn't play but he insisted that as a member of the team, he had to play."

"You're not asking me to not let him play, are you?" asked Edward, fretfully. "I don't think I can do that."

"Of course not," I said, quickly. "Just watch him, ok?"

"Of course I will," smiled Edward, pulling me into his arms. "I bet he was just excited. He seems fine right now."

"I know. I can't help but worry though," I muttered.

"I'll watch him, I promise," he whispered, pressing his lips to my head.

"Yo, Eddie, finish kissing your girl so we can start the game," bellowed Emmett. My face turned bright red as Edward and I looked over at him. He was smirking and everyone, I do mean everyone, was staring at us.

"I'm coming," gritted Edward. He shook his head and looked down at me. "I am so sorry about him."

"It's ok," I said. "I'll get him back later."

"Looking forward to it," he laughed.

He kissed me quickly before heading back over to the rest of the team. All the boys, including Emmett, Jasper, Garrett, and Ben, taunted him while the girls, Anna, Mattie, and Sadie, all looked at him dreamily. He blushed and told them to hush. I could still feel my warm cheeks as I turned and walked back over to the others. Charlie was sitting with Ivy on his lap. Lauren and Tyler were sitting next to him. She looked nervous as she sat next to my father, and I can't say I didn't blame her for feeling like that.

"Hey, Lauren, have you met everyone?" I asked, taking my seat next to her.

"Yeah," she said, nervously. Tyler squeezed her hand and she looked up at him. "Oh, Bella, this is my husband, Tyler Crowley. Ty, this is Bella."

"Nice to finally meet you, Bella," smiled Tyler.

"You too, Tyler," I murmured. "Congratulations on your upcoming arrival."

"Thank you," he said as his smile grew wider. "We're very excited."

I nodded my head and looked over at Charlie. "Cutting it kind of close, weren't you?" I asked. He pursed his lips and looked away.

"Wasn't my fault," he muttered. I leaned forward and cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What did you do this time?" I asked. He looked back at me and sighed.

"I might have gotten a speeding ticket," he mumbled. Everyone laughed at him.

"You, Mr. Chief of Police in Forks, got a speeding ticket?" I asked, trying my hardest not to laugh at him.

"Yes," he sighed, shaking his head. "It wasn't my fault though. He was hiding around a curve and-"

"And you were speeding," I said, cutting him off. "How many tickets is that for you now? Five, six?"

"Seven," he muttered, hanging his head as everyone laughed again.

"Dad, I don't even know how you still have insurance or a license," I laughed, shaking my head.

"Me either," he snorted.

As the game started, we all turned our attention to the field. From the corner of my eye, I could see Lauren watching Alex. She brought her hand up to her mouth and let out a soft sob. Everyone choose to ignore it except for Charlie, who frowned. He knew everything about Lauren and Brody and what they had been through before they came to Forks. He always made the effort to make sure they both knew they had a home with us.

Tyler slipped his arm around Lauren and kissed the side of her head. I blinked back my own tears as I reached over and grabbed her hand but didn't look at her. She wrapped her fingers around mine and we sat like that. Alex was worth letting go of my anger at her for. She needed to know him, to be a better aunt to him than she was a sister to his father. In that moment, I felt a warmth flood my body and I knew, somehow I knew, that it was Brody telling me that I was right.

I slipped my hand out of hers as I stood up and walked down the sidelines of the field. I wrapped my arms around my body as I watched Alex kick the ball over to Mattie. She turned and kicked it to Anthony, who kicked it over to Sadie. The other team stripped the ball from her and they chased them down the field and Alex stripped it back.

"Are you ok?" asked Tyler. I looked over at him. He was standing a few feet away, clearly unsure if it was ok for him to be talking to me. "Lauren was worried that she had upset you."

"I'm fine," I muttered, looking out at the field.

"Ok," he said. Alex kicked the ball over to Anthony, who kicked it back to Anna. She kicked it down the field and over to Sadie, who passed it to Elliott. "Bella-"

"Do you love her?" I asked, looking over at him. "Lauren, I mean. Do you love her?"

"With all my heart," he said, immediately. I nodded my head and looked back at the field. "I know that you don't know me, Bella."

"No, I don't," I said, shaking my head as I watched the kids play. "I may have my issues with her, and I am trying really hard to move past them for Alex's sake, but…" I trailed off as I looked back over at Tyler. "If you hurt her, I will kill you. Regardless of the fact that I haven't seen her in six years or that Brody isn't here anymore, Lauren is part of my family and I do love her. If you break her, I break you, got it?"

"Got it," he smiled. "Lauren told me you were quite the ball buster but I didn't believe it."

"I learned from the best. She should know that since she taught me everything she knew," I snorted. "Is she ok?"

"She's good, Bella," he said, nodding his head. "She's been trying to get the courage to find you for almost a year now. She just didn't know what to say to you."

Tyler turned and headed back over to Lauren and the others. Charlie looked right at me, raising his eyebrow as if to ask me if I was ok. I simply nodded my head and turned back to the game. Alex seemed to be ok as the game progressed. Once one the game was over, he and Anthony made a beeline for Charlie while Edward came right to me. He didn't say anything as he slipped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest.

"You ok?" he asked. "Did my family embarrass me again?"

"No," I laughed. "They were very well behaved."

"Then why were you over here and not with them?" asked Edward. "Was it Lauren?"

"No," I murmured. "I don't know really know. I just needed to be alone but this is much better."

"Dad, Dad, I need my bag from the car so I can go with Grandpa," exclaimed Anthony, bouncing over with Charlie, Alex, and everyone else following him. Carlisle and Esme looked amused at how excited the boys were.

"Ok, just give me a minute," chuckled Edward. He shook his head as he looked over at Lauren and Tyler, who looked out of place. "I'm Edward. It's nice to meet you both."

"I'm Tyler and this is Lauren," smiled Tyler, shaking Edward's hand. "You're quite the coach."

"It's not me, it's the kids," said Edward, laughing. "They make it easy."

"Dad," whined Anthony, pulling on Edward's hand. "Come on."

"Ok, ok," sighed Edward. "Let's go."

"Get Alex's stuff, too," I said, handing him my car keys. "Please, of course."

"Sure thing," he said, winking at me.

I looked over at Charlie as Edward and the boys went to get their stuff. He was bouncing on his toes with excitement. I think he may have been more excited than the boys were about their little sleep over, as Alex informed me it was called. Edward and the boys came back, carrying the two duffle bags, sleeping bags, and pillows. Alex dropped his on the ground and came over and hugged me.

"Are you going to be okay all by yourself, Momma?" he asked. I pulled him back and squatted down in front of him.

"I'm going to be fine," I said, pushing his hair out of his face. "I expect you to be good for Grandpa."

"I will," he said, nodding his head. I reached out and pulled Anthony over to us.

"Same for you, little man," I smiled. "Grandpa is old and you have to promise me that you will take good care of him."

"I am not old," muttered Charlie.

"We promise, Bella," said Anthony, wrapping his arms around my neck.

"I am not a child, Isabella," scoffed Charlie as I stood up. I folded my arms in front of him and just stared at him. "I'm not!"

"Dad, don't cook," I said, firmly. "Order a pizza or something but do not cook."

"I won't," he said, nodding his head.

"They cannot sit in the front seat," I said, seriously. Charlie nodded his head in agreement. "They must wear seatbelts."

"I am a police officer, Bella," he sighed. "I know the rules."

"Dad," I said.

"Fine, no front seats and they must wear seatbelts," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Any other rules, Warden?"

"Yeah, don't let them fall in and drown," I smirked.

"I didn't let you fall in," he grumbled. "You stood up in the boat after a worm fell on your leg and you freaked out. You caused the boat to capsize."

"Who threw the worm at me?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow at my father. He pursed his lips as everyone laughed and looked between us. "That's what I thought. Be good, Dad, or else."

"Fine," he muttered. "Let's go, boys, before she takes away all our fun."

Charlie grabbed both of their sleeping bags and pillows while Alex and Anthony grabbed their duffle bags. After hugging all of us, saving me and Edward for last, the boys followed my father over to his car. Both Edward and I watched as Charlie locked their stuff into the trunk before loading them into the backseat. He turned and looked right at me, smirked and saluted. Everyone behind me laughed loudly, including Edward, as Charlie climbed into the front seat of his car and took off. I wonder where I get my smartassness from.

"Ok, kids, we ready to go home?" asked Esme. I looked back over as she and Carlisle gathered Elliott, Ivy, Mattie, and Anna to them.

"Yes," they said. Well, except for Ivy. She was asleep.

"Be good," said Rose, pointing right at Elliott.

"I'm always good," he scoffed. She just looked at him. He dropped his head in a very Emmett like way. "Yes, ma'am."

Esme and Carlisle snickered under their breathes as they lead the kids over to their cars. "Ok, so now that we have gotten the kids all taken care of," said Angela, smiling as she looked around at all of us. "What's the plan for tonight?"

"Movie?" asked Emmett.

"Dinner with no kids," sighed Rose, dreamily.

"Shopping," murmured Kate.

"Dancing," squealed Alice. All of us looked over at her. "We haven't been dancing in way too long!"

"Um, dancing?" I asked. "I don't think so."

"Oh, come on, Bella," begged Alice. What was with all the begging? "It would be so much fun!"

"Alice," I muttered, shaking my head. "Fine."

"Yeah!" squealed Alice, jumping up and down. I rolled my eyes and looked back at Edward.

"Is that ok with you?" I asked.

"Oh yeah," he murmured.

"Lauren, you and Tyler are more than welcome to come with us," said Rose. I looked over at them. Lauren's smile had dropped off her face and she shook her head.

"I'm afraid we have other plans," said Tyler, looking right at me. "Maybe another time."

"No problem," smiled Rose, looking back. She grabbed my hand and pulled me away from Edward. "You are coming with us."

"Why?" I asked.

"So we can get ready," she scoffed. She looked at Alice, Kate, and Angela.

"Spa," they all said together. I shot my eyes up to Edward.

"Save me," I begged.

"Baby, I learned a long time ago that you don't get in the way of those women and the spa," he said, regretfully. "Sorry."

Rose and Angela grabbed my arms and started pulling me away from Edward. Alice and Kate laughed as they followed us over to my car. I reluctantly climbed in behind the wheel and drove us down to the spa. Tonight had been be worth going to the fucking spa.

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews. Keep them coming and let me know what you thought about this chapter. **


	29. Chapter 29

**EPOV**

This might have been the longest fucking afternoon in my entire life. The one day that I didn't have Anthony or have to work and who was I spending it with? My fucking brother, Jasper, Ben, and Garrett. Not that I don't love them, because I do, but I wanted to spend the day with Bella. At the same time, the thought of spending the evening with her body pressed up against mine sounded really nice, too. Fuck, I was hard as a fucking rock now.

"Eddie, let's go," hollered Emmett, banging on my bedroom door.

"I'm coming," I yelled.

"TMI, man," he laughed.

I ignored my idiot brother and turned back to the mirror. I had just gotten down showering and was trying, in vain, to get my hair to lay flat. Sometimes, I really hated my hair. I tossed the comb onto the counter and gave up. No use beating a dead horse, you know. I pulled the towel from around my waist and pulled on my boxers, groaning as I trapped my hard cock inside. It was going to be a long ass night if I didn't calm down.

I finished getting dressed, opting to wear a pair of black pants and a black dress shirt, and headed downstairs. Ben, Garrett, Jasper, and Emmett were sitting on the couches, ready for their own child free night out with their wives. They were rare and hard to come by so I'm sure they were planning on making tonight a good one. I know I certainly was.

"You guys ready?" I asked, pocketing my wallet and picking up my keys.

"Yep," muttered Emmett, standing up.

The others merely nodded their heads as they followed me and Emmett out. We climbed into our various cars and headed over to Bella's house. I was a little nervous that Alice, Rose, Kate, and Angela might have driven her to the point of insanity today, but I knew better than to come between my sister, Rose, Kate, or Angela when they were all set to go to the spa. Emmett had the scars on his arm to prove that it is not worth it. Period.

I pulled up into Bella's driveway, behind her car, while the guys pulled up in front. We climbed out and headed up to the front door. I rang the doorbell, even though I had a key. It was fun to think about the date I had with Bella. The door opened and I heard Emmett muttered a series of curse words under his breath.

Rose was standing in front of us wearing a very short, very tight red dress that clung to her body like a second skin. Now, I'm not attracted to my sister-in-law at all, but, damn, she looked hot. She started laughing and I looked back at Emmett. He had one hand over his mouth and one clamped down onto the obvious bulge in his pants. A grimace spread across my face as I walked into the house with Jasper, Ben and Garrett following me, all of whom looked just as disgusted with the fact that he was touching himself like that.

"Em, baby, let him go and come on in," smirked Rose.

"Rosie, you look…"

Emmett trailed off as he stepped into the house. He pulled her into his arms and leaned his lips down to her ear. I couldn't hear what he told her but based on the blush that spread over her face, it was perverted and gross. At least from my stand point. I heard the others gasp and turned and looked over at the stairs. My mouth fell open and slapped against the floor at the sight before me.

Alice was wearing a short black leather mini skirt and a pink sequined halter top with a park of knee length boots. Angela had a on a pair of tight pants and a white silk blouse that was nearly see through. Kate had on a little black dress that looked it would fall off if she turned too fast. While Alice, Angela, and Kate all looked incredibly beautiful, my eyes were locked on the brunette goddess standing on the bottom step.

Bella, my beautiful Bella, was wearing a dark blue dress that was barely being held up by the thin spaghetti straps over her shoulders. I followed the lines of the dress down past her breasts and to the top of her creamy thighs, matched with a pair of black heels. She had her hair pulled up on the back of her head, leaving just a few pieces around her face. My cock twitched and I had to bite back the moan that damn near slipped out of my mouth.

I heard snickering coming from behind me but I didn't care. All I could focus on was the woman standing before me. Bella looked up at me, blushing her exquisite shade of pink and my cock grew even harder and started begging to be let out. She stepped off the bottom step, pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth.

My legs felt like lead as I crossed the room and placed my hands on her hips, slowly slipping them around her body. She inhaled deeply as I pulled her right up against me, taking my own deep breath. I leaned down and buried my face in her neck, breathing in the sweet smell of her perfume. She moaned softly and brought her arms up around me as I started kissing up her neck until I reached her ear. Her hands had slowly ran up my back and were now nestled at the base of my head, woven in my hair.

"You look amazing, love," I murmured. Bella shuddered against me. "So. Fucking. Amazing."

"Edward," she whispered, tightening her grip on my hair.

"Damn," whispered Emmett. "Maybe we should just leave them here."

"No shit," snickered Rose.

"Could you?" muttered Bella.

"No way, Bella Swan," snapped Alice, marching over and pulled Bella out of my arms. "We didn't spend all afternoon turning you into a major hottie for you to decide not to go out. We. Are. Going."

"I'm not scared of you, Alice," said Bella, placing her hands on her hips. "Not scared of you at all."

"You say that now," smirked Alice, crossing her arms in front of her. "But Christmas is coming and I have a lot of ideas for the Christmas party for school."

"Bitch," spat Bella.

"You called?" asked my sister, cocking her eyebrow at her.

Bella rolled her eyes and turned to me. "I'm not sure I like your sister."

"Me either," I muttered, slipping my arm around her waist. "When I was five, she cut up my blanket and used it to make doll clothes."

"My dolls were cold," said Alice, shrugging her shoulders as she looked around. "Are we ready?"

The others seemed a little afraid to cross Alice so they all nodded their heads quickly. Bella muttered something about her being the anti-christ but Alice either didn't hear her or chose not to say anything. Once the girls had gotten their jackets and purses, we headed out to our cars and headed down to the club.

A few minutes later, I pulled my car up next to Emmett and Rose. Bella looked a little nervous as she eyed the crowd that was standing outside of the club. I reached over and took her hand in mine, causing her to smile and look over at me. Even though I could see the happiness shining in her eyes, there was a sadness in them too.

"You ok, love?" I asked.

"This is going to sound pathetic," she sighed, "but I miss the boys."

I smiled. "I do, too," I chuckled. "Maybe we should call."

"I already did," she said, looking at me sheepishly. "I think I've called like five times already."

"And?" I asked, pushing for more details.

"And they are fine," sighed Bella, shaking her head. "I guess I'm just being silly."

"No, you are not," I smiled. "You're being a mom. Mom's worry."

"Yeah," she murmured, looking out the window.

"Hey, what's going on inside that beautiful mind of yours?" I asked. Bella smiled and looked over at me.

"Nothing," she said. "Are you ready to go in?"

"As ready is I will ever be," I sighed, pushing open my car door.

Once I had helped Bella out of the car, I slipped my arm around her waist and we caught up to everyone else. After assuring them that everything was ok, we bypassed the line of people standing outside and headed straight in. Bella cocked an eyebrow at me but I winked and told her it was all about who you knew these days. She let it go but I could tell she was still curious about our easy entrance into the club.

The truth was all of us were friends with the owner of Club Twilight, Benjamin and Tia Long. Benjamin had been a classmate of Emmett's and when he opened his club, we were informed that we were welcome here anytime, and we never had to wait in line. I haven't been here but a couple of times but the others used to come quite a bit more. Of course, having kids made a big dent in that part of their lives.

I lead Bella after the others and we found a large table in the back corner. She smiled as I pulled out her chair for her. She blushed and sat down, which did nothing to help the hard on that was pressing against my boxers. I sat down in the seat next to her, trying my hardest not to groan at the pressure on my crotch.

"Hey, everyone, what can I getcha from the bar?" asked our waitress. She looked up and smiled as she looked at me. "Can I get you a drink, sugar?"

"Um, water," I muttered, scooting closer to Bella. The waitress looked from me to her and snorted. Bella placed her hand on my thigh. Hello, twitching cock.

"I'll take water, too," said Bella, shortly as her hand slid further up my leg. Rose, Kate, Alice, and Angela were all glaring at the waitress as she rolled her eyes.

"Two waters," she muttered, before looking over at Emmett. "What can I get for you, honey?"

"He'll take a beer, whatever's on tap," smirked Rose, leaning across Emmett. His eyes rolled back as his wife rubbed her breasts on him. "I'll take a Whiskey Sour, if you think you can take your eyes off our men long enough to handle that."

Our lovely waitress pursed her lips together and took the rest of our orders before heading up to the bar to collect our drinks. She came back a moment later and passed out our drinks, giving Bella the evil eye as she handed her the bottle of water. I opened my mouth to say something but the bitch walked off. I snapped my mouth shut. Was she worth it?

"Well, I'll be damned," laughed the deep voice of Benjamin Long. He and Tia came sauntering up behind Emmett and Rose, smiles planted on both of their faces. "This can't the old gang because they don't come out anymore."

"Dude, being a dad is hard work," laughed Emmett, standing up. He and Benjamin did one of those awkward handshake/sidearm hugs that men do because they aren't sure how they are supposed to great one another. "The club looks good."

"Eh, it's coming along," said Benjamin, looking around at all of us. His eyes landed on Bella and he smile. "I don't guess anyone is going to introduce us. I'm Benjamin Long and this is my wife, Tia."

"Bella Swan," smiled Bella, nodding her head at them both. Benjamin and Tia looked from her to me, and back with growing smirks on their faces.

"It's nice to meet you, Bella," smirked Tia.

"You too," murmured Bella, shifting in her seat.

"Well, we had better get back to work," sighed Benjamin, rolling his eyes. "Drinks are on me tonight and I don't want to hear any complaining."

We all knew better than to argue with Benjamin when he had his mind set on something so we all thanked him. Bella snuggled into my side as everyone started chatting about the kids, school, work, everything. I honestly wasn't paying much attention to them. Bella looked up at me and I saw a longing in her eyes that I didn't quite understand. I brought my hand up and cupped her cheek, letting my fingers glide along her skin.

"Are you ok?" I whispered just loud enough for her to hear. She nodded her head and leaned into my hand. "Would you like to dance?"

"I'd love to," she murmured.

Bella and I didn't say anything to the others as we headed out to the dance floor, even if I could feel them watching us. Bella slid her hands up my arms, wrapping them around my neck. I slid my arms around her body, pulling her as close to me as I could. I felt her shiver against me.

"Cold?" I murmured, leaning down to her ear.

"No," she whispered, lacing her fingers into my hair. "I love your arms around me."

"Me too, baby."

I pulled her closer to me and we started moving our bodies to the music. I was vaguely aware of everyone around us. All my attention was on the woman in my arms. The woman who had given me the strength to love again, to open my heart to her and Alex. It was almost too much for me and I found myself becoming emotional as I held her close to me. Yet, I couldn't seem to get her close enough. Bella moved her hand up into my hair, lacing her fingers in my hair again.

She shivered again as she pulled back and looked up at me. I could see so much in her eyes; so many emotions. Hope, fear, and love. Was it possible that she felt for me what I felt for her? Was it possible that she needed me the way I needed her? The way I didn't even realize that I needed her until that very moment. I knew I was in love with her but it went deeper than that.

My eyes closed as I whispered, "Come home with me."

"Ok," she murmured. I opened my eyes and smiled.

"Yeah?" I asked. She nodded her head quickly. "Let's go."

Bella didn't say anything as we headed back over to our table, grabbed our stuff, and headed out of the club. The air was cool and crisp. I tucked Bella close to me as we walked over to my car. I helped her in and ran around to the driver's seat. I started the car, turning on the heater, and headed back home.

The drive to my house was made in complete silence. I could tell that we were both nervous about tonight. I parked my car in the driveway and I rushed around and helped Bella out of the car. We made our way into the house and I shut the door behind me, turning the lock. She laid her jacket and purse on the couch and looked back over at me. She was so beautiful.

I moved over to her, encircling her in my arms. I ran my hand up to the back of her head and pulled out the clip that was holding her hair up. Her dark brown locks fell down, cascading around her shoulders. She looked up at me and I felt my breath catch in my chest as her cheeks turned the most beautiful shade of pink.

"Have I ever told you that I love that you blush for me?" I murmured, bringing my hand up and stroking her pink cheek.

"No," she whispered, leaning into my touch.

"Bella," I whispered, leaning down until my lips were almost onto hers. "I…I love you."

Bella gasped as a smile spread on her face. "You…you love me?"

"I love you so much," I murmured. "Before you…I was just here. Trying to be the best dad I could be but I was just here. You make smile and laugh again."

"Edward," she wept, softly. "I love you, too. I never thought I would ever love again but I do. I love you."

I closed the gap between our lips. Bella's arms came flying up around me, clutching onto me like she was afraid I was suddenly going to leave her. Silly girl didn't know, there was no way in hell I could ever leaver her. Not now. Maybe I never could have. My hands slid down her body, cupping her ass in my hands. I lifted her up off the ground and she automatically wrapped her legs around my waist. It was like she was made to be around me like this. I stumbled over to the stairs and somehow made my way up to my bedroom. I set Bella down on the floor next to my bed and brought my hand back up to her cheek.

"We don't have to do anything, if you aren't ready," I murmured. Bella closed her eyes and leaned into my hand.

"I'm ready," she whispered, opening her eyes and smiling. "I love you."

"I love you," I murmured.

I leaned down and kissed her again as I slid my hands behind her. My fingers were shaking as I lowered the zipper in her dress, letting it fall open. I could feel her smooth skin as my fingers grazed her back. I pulled my lips away from hers as I brought my hands up and hooked my fingers under the thin straps that were keeping her dress up. My eyes were locked on hers as I slowly lowered it down her shoulders and let it pool at her feet.

I took a deep breath as I looked down at her body. Fuck, she was even sexier than I thought she was. My imagination hadn't done her justice at all. "You are stunning," I murmured. She blushed and looked down at her feet. "Look at me."

Bella lifted her head slowly. "Beautiful," I whispered again.

She smiled but didn't says anything as she stepped out of her dress, kicking it and her shoes off to the side. She raised her hands and began fumbling with the buttons on my shirt. I could feel her fingers grazing my skin as she undid each button. Once she has my shirt unbuttoned, she slid her hands inside and pushed it down my arms, letting it fall to the floor behind me. Bella brought her hands back down my chest, running her fingers across my nipples. Her hands landed on the top of my pants. She slowly popped the button and lowered the zipper. They fell to the floor at my feet. I kicked them and my shoes off, and stood in front of her. Her eyes ranked over me and I could feel my own blush creeping up.

I slowly reached out and slipped my fingers into the sides of her little back panties. Slowly, I pulled them down her legs, leaving her naked in front of me. I tossed them aside and looked up at her from my position before her. She had her lip back between her lips and she was watching me with shy eyes and a bashful smile. That was my girl.

I stood up in front of her and slowly took off my boxers, letting my hard on out finally. She reached out and wrapped her hand around me and I had to stop myself from coming like a fifteen year old boy. I placed my hand on hers, stopping her from stroking me any more. She looked up at me with a frown.

"I want to be inside of you," I whispered.

"I want that, too," she said, quietly moving her hand.

Bella climbed onto my bed and laid back on the pillows. Just the sight of her laid out for me, hair sprayed out under her was enough to cause my cock to twitch. Something that didn't go unnoticed by her, but she didn't say anything. I grabbed a condom out of my dresser drawer and climbed onto the bed.

"When did you get those?" she asked, taking the small foil package from me.

"After the misunderstanding with Vic," I said, coyly. Bella smiled shyly. "I wanted to be prepared for when we got here."

"That's very sweet of you," she murmured. "But I'm on the pill."

"Oh," I whispered, ripping the foil package from her hand and tossing it onto the floor. Bella laughed, which just made my cock twitch again.

I leaned in and pressed my lips down onto hers once again. Her laughter turned to moans as I pressed my body down onto hers. My cock was nestled between her legs, begging to get to be inside of her. Like she could read my mind, Bella spread her legs even for me. I slipped two fingers down and made sure she was ready. I didn't want to hurt her but I wasn't in the mood for foreplay, either. We had had two months of foreplay. Luckily, she was more than ready.

"I love you," I whispered, lining myself up to her.

"I love you, too," she smiled.

I slowly pushed into her, feeling her walls stretch as she took me into her body for the first time. Bella whimpered slightly. Finally, I was all the way inside of her, I paused to let her adjust to me. Bella took a deep breath and looked up at me.

"Are you ok?" I asked, tersely.

"Yeah," she murmured. "Been awhile. You can move now."

I slowly pulled back and slid back inside of her. Bella moaned and wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me down onto her even more. Slowly, I started thrusting in and out of her, pushing into her a little deeper than I had been the time before. Each time felt just as incredible as the moment before. Each time, I felt like I was supposed to be here, loving her, holding her, taking care of her.

Bella was moaning under me, lifting her hips to meet mine thrust for thrust. Her body felt incredible under mine. She brought her hands up and wove them into my hair, pulling my auburn locks. Her body was shaking and I knew she was getting close to her climax. I pulled her leg further up around my waist and drove into her harder, faster.

"Oh god," she cried, pulling on my hair as her walls clenched down onto me. "OH, FUCKING YES!"

I thrust into her a few more times, feeling my own orgasm burning through me. "BELLA," was all I could say as I stilled my hips and released inside of her.

I rolled off of her, pulling her into my arms. She sighed contently as she laud her head on my chest, running her fingers over my sides as she wrapped her arms around my waist. This was the woman I loved, the woman who loved me and Anthony back. I was a lucky man. As I drifted off to sleep, I thought I heard her cell phone ringing downstairs.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I have been working on this story for two days but couldn't get the middle part right. I hope you enjoy it and let me know.**


	30. Chapter 30

**BPOV**

It felt like I was in the middle of a dream. Here I was laying in Edward's arms, completely naked having just made love to him, and he had told me that he loved me. I still couldn't believe that Edward loved me back. Hearing him say those three little words just made my heart sore and I knew that we were ready to take our relationship to the next level. I had been so nervous about giving myself over to him, letting myself be even more vulnerable that I already was to him but he owned me. He and Anthony had come into mine and Alex's lives and, as cliché as this is going to sound, they completed us. Alex got his father, the best father a little boy could have, and I really had become Anthony's mother. Sarah was right about that one.

"Is that your phone?" murmured Edward. I held my breath, listening for the sound of my cell phone ringing. Sure enough, there was.

"Yes," I muttered, scrambling out of Edward's bed.

I pulled his shirt off the floor and pulled it around my body as I flew out of his bedroom and down the stair. A cell phone ringing in the middle of the night only lead to bad things. Edward was right behind me as I pulled the ringing phone out of my purse. Charlie.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" I asked, flipping the phone open.

"Honey, calm down," said Charlie.

"TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG!" I screamed into the phone. Charlie wouldn't call me at midnight unless it was one of the boys. He just wouldn't.

"Honey, it's Alex," he whispered and my breath caught in my chest. "I've got him up here at the hospital."

"What's wrong with him?" I cried. Edward wrapped his arms around me, holding me up as my knees buckled under me. He pulled the phone out of my hand and put it on speaker phone.

"I don't know yet," said Charlie. "He started complaining about his stomach hurting again. Then he started throwing up and he spiked a fever. I just didn't know what to do so I brought him to the ER."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," I said, sniffing back my tears.

"Drive carefully," ordered Charlie. "Do you hear me, Isabella? Have Edward drive you."

"Daddy, take care of my boys for me," I cried.

"I will," he whispered. "I promise."

Charlie disconnected the call and I dropped my phone on the floor. Edward turned me and held me against his chest as he moved us up the stairs to his bedroom. I knew there was something wrong with Alex this morning but I ignored it. I pushed back my mom voice and told myself that it was nothing but nerves. How could I be so fucking reckless with my baby boy?

"Come on, we've gotta go," said Edward, pushing me onto the bed.

"Edward, if something happens to him…" I trailed off.

"Nothing is going to happen to him," he murmured, squatting down in front of me. He raised his hand up to my cheek. "Baby, he's going to be fine but we need to go."

"Ok," I whimpered.

Edward leaned up and kissed me before he stood up. He tossed me a pair of his jeans to go with the shirt I was already wearing. I slipped my panties back on and pulled the jeans on over them. They were way too big but I wasn't about to waste time going back to my house to change. Not when my baby needed me. Edward slipped his boxers back on, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He grabbed my hand and led me downstairs. I picked up my cell phone and purse while he grabbed his phone, keys, and wallet. We headed out to his car and onto the highway to Forks.

"I'm going to call my parents," muttered Edward, flipping his phone open. "Is that ok?"

"Of course it is," I said. "They love him, too."

"They really do," he whispered. I looked out the window as he dialed. He cleared his throat, maybe trying to gain some sense of composure over himself as well. "Mom…I know it's late but we just got a call from Charlie…It's Alex, he's in the hospital…we don't know yet…we are on our way now….ok, hang on, I'll ask. Bella, what's the name of the hospital in Forks?" asked Edward.

I looked over at him. "Forks Memorial," I said, quietly.

"Did you hear that?" asked Edward, talking to his mom. "Ok, we will…I promise…I am, Mom…Love you, too."

"What'd she say?" I asked as he closed his phone.

"Carlisle was going to call the Chief of Staff and make sure he knew his grandson was there," said Edward, looking over at me for a moment before looking back at the road. "They were going to call everyone else and have them come get the kids and then start on their way to Forks."

"They don't have to do that," I muttered.

"They want to," he said, grabbing my hand. "Esme told me to tell you that she loves you and to be strong."

"I'm trying," I murmured, looking back out the window.

Edward and I made the rest of the three hour drive in silence and he never let go of my hand. I kept checking my phone, making sure that my father didn't call and I somehow missed it. Like I could with it plastered into my hand. Of course, we hit a stretch of road where I lost all cell service. Once I got it back, I had a missed call and a new voice mail from Charlie. However, the call was too grabbled for me to make out and when I tried to call him back, it went straight to his voice mail. The clock on the dashboard of Edward's car said it was just after three in the morning when he pulled up into the parking lot of Forks Memorial hospital and I was a complete mess.

As we climbed out, I was hit by an all too familiar feeling of déjà vu. The last time I had been outside of this hospital in the middle of the night was the night Brody had been killed. Of course, that night I headed straight to the morgue instead of into the emergency room. Edward slipped his hand into mine as we made our way across the parking lot and into the hospital. Charlie wasn't anywhere to be seen and that both comforted me and scared the shit out of me. We headed up to the triage desk where a nurse with short blond hair was sitting, filing her fucking nails. Did she not know that my son was here? I cleared my throat to get her attention.

"Can I help you?" she asked, looking up at us.

"Yes, my son was brought in earlier," I said, shortly. "Alexander Swan."

"Oh, yes, Chief Swan is in the surgical waiting room," she said, like it was no big deal. However, I felt all the color drain from my face as my knees once again buckled under me.

"Surgery?" I whispered, filling the tears pool in my eyes.

"Mmhmm," she hummed. "Do you need directions?"

"Yes," growled Edward, pulling me into his arms as I started sobbing. "If you can tear yourself away from your fucking nails for five seconds."

"Down the hallway, take a left. There will be a big sign that says surgical waiting room," said the nurse, unshaken by Edward's verbal assault.

"Thanks," muttered Edward, dryly.

He pulled me away from the desk and we started down the long hallway, that seemed to go on for a mile. My baby boy was in surgery. How in the hell did this happen? Edward pulled me to the left and a few more yards before we walked into the surgical waiting room. Charlie was sitting in the back corner with Anthony wrapped around his body. He looked up at me and stood up, causing Anthony to look back at us.

"MOMMY!" he cried, scrambling away from Charlie and running over to me.

I opened my arms and caught him as Anthony jumped on me, wrapping his arms and legs around me. Both of our bodies shook with our tears. I felt Edward wrap his arms around the two of us, holding us against him. They really did love both me and Alex. It didn't escape my attention that Anthony had called me mommy, either, but I wasn't about to correct him. I was his mommy.

"Alex is sick," sobbed Anthony. "He's sick and they had to take him away. He has to be ok, he's my best friend!"

"I know, baby," I whispered, holding him tighter. I looked over his shoulder at my father, who was fighting off his own tears. "Why is he in surgery?"

"His appendix burst," explained Charlie. I closed my eyes and ducked my head into Anthony's neck. "The doctor said that I had to make the choice. I had to let them take him back, honey. I had to. I tried to call but it went to your voice mail. I didn't know what to do."

"I know, Daddy," I cried. "Was he scared?"

"A little bit but I told him you and Edward would be here when he woke up," murmured Charlie, running his hands over his face. "I didn't know what to do."

"No, you did the right thing," I muttered, moving over and sitting down in the chair he had just left.

Anthony moved his head so that he was laying on my chest. He had his fingers running through my hair. Edward sat down on the chair next to me, placing his arm behind me and his other hand on Anthony's back and we waited for the doctor to come out and let me know how our son was doing. Time felt like it stood still.

It felt like we had been sitting in that waiting room for days rather than just a couple of hours. Edward tried to pull Anthony from me but neither he nor I would let him. I needed that little boy and he needed me. Edward scooted closer to us, wrapping his arms around the two of us. He needed us, too. Charlie sat in his chair with his head leaning back against the wall behind him. He had his eyes closed but I knew he wasn't sleeping. Charlie didn't like hospitals anymore than I did.

"Bella?"

I looked over to see Peter Davis, Brody's best friend standing in the doorway to the surgical waiting room. He was wearing a pair of green scrubs and a white surgical hat over his shaggy blond hair. He smiled as he moved over and sat down on the table in front of me but his eyes were tired.

"Peter? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I work here," he said. "I'm taking care of Alexander."

"Is he ok?" I asked, frantically as I sat up a little more.

"He's fine," said Peter, placing his hands up. "We were lucky and got in there before too much of toxins had gotten into his system."

"Oh, thank god," I cried, laying my head down on top of Anthony's. He raised his head and looked over at Peter.

"Are you sure?" he asked, lip trembling. "He's not going to go to heaven like my mommy and his daddy, is he?"

"I promise, he's going to be just fine," said Peter, patting Anthony on the back. He looked up at me. "I have him in recovery and in about half an hour, he is going to be taken to his room. I'll come get you then, ok?"

"Peter," I whispered, shaking my head as I reached out and grabbed his hand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he smiled, gripping my hand in his "He looks like Brody."

"I know," I murmured.

Peter nodded at Edward and Charlie before he left. Anthony laid his head back down on my chest, running this tiny fingers through my hair again. I leaned over and laid my head on Edward's shoulder, letting my tears fall once more. Only this time, I felt relieved instead of terrified. Edward leaned over and kissed the top of my head, while rubbing Anthony's back. That poor little boy had been terrified of losing his best friend, his brother.

Charlie got up and started pacing back and forth. I could tell he was tired and fighting off the urge to sleep. Charlie had never been one who did well with hospitals and then you add in the fact that he spent the day with two five year olds, he was bound to be quite exhausted. I also knew there was no way in hell he was leaving. He and I had been through this when Alex spent three days in the hospital after he ate some nuts. Charlie was by my side every minute that we were in that hospital in Seattle.

"I need coffee," murmured Edward, pulling back a little. I looked up at him. "Can I get you one?"

"Yes, please," I said, smiling weakly.

"Anthony," whispered Edward but Anthony didn't move. Edward looked over onto the other side of me and smiled, softly. "He's asleep."

"Don't wake him," I murmured. "He's been through enough."

"Ok, I'll be right back," whispered Edward, leaning in so that his lips were almost touching mine. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I whispered back, closing the distance between our lips.

Edward sighed and pulled back, pressing his lips down onto Anthony's head before he stood up. He asked Charlie if he wanted some coffee but my father said no. Edward nodded his head and walked out of the waiting room. Charlie came over and took his seat, turning so that he was facing me. As I looked over at my father, I noticed the smile on his face.

"So, you finally realized it, huh?" he asked.

"I don't know what you are talking about," I murmured, laying my head on top of Anthony's.

"I heard you," whispered Charlie. "You love him."

"I am so in love with him, Daddy," I said, softly. "He and Anthony…Dad, I never thought…" I trailed off as I felt the tears spring up in my eyes. Charlie brought his hand up and pulled me into his chest, holding both me and Anthony. "They were just want we needed but didn't know we needed. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, honey, it makes sense," murmured Charlie.

"Bella, is Alex ok?" asked Esme, rushing into the waiting room with Carlisle and Edward hot on her heels. Edward was holding two cups of coffee and had smile on his face.

"Dr. Davis said he should be fine," I said, taking the coffee from Edward. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he murmured, taking his seat back from Charlie.

"Here let me take him," offered Esme, trying to pull Anthony off of me.

However, Anthony whimpered and clung to me, "No, Mommy," he cried, wrapping his arms around my neck.

"I've got him," I murmured, holding him tighter with my freed arm.

"Ok," smiled Esme, sitting down next to me. "I suppose you do."

Charlie started telling Carlisle and Esme about his day with the boys and what lead him to bringing Alex to the hospital. Honestly, I was listening to him. Edward had his arm around me and Anthony, holding us as close as he could without squishing the poor boy. Anthony whimpered a couple times in his sleep and I pulled him closer to me, holding him as tightly as I could. Edward brought his lips over to the side of my head, giving me a simple kiss.

"Bella," said Peter. I looked over and saw him standing in the doorway to the waiting room again. "They're moving him now."

"Ok," I murmured, standing up.

Peter looked like he was going to make a comment about me taking Anthony with me and Edward but choose not to. I wasn't about to leave Anthony behind. His father and I were going back and so was he, even if he was still sound asleep. Peter lead us down the hallway to a small room. He held the door open for us and we headed inside.

Alex was laying in the large bed with an IV coming out of his hand and a blood pressure cuff on his arm. The machines he was hooked up to were beeping as they monitored his vitals. Tears filled my eyes as I moved over and picked up his tiny little hand. Anthony leaned back and looked down at Alex.

"Is he ok, Mommy?" whispered Anthony.

"He will be, little man," I said, holding him up on my hip.

Edward wrapped his arms around us, placing his hand on top of mine and Alex's. Anthony reached down and placed his hand on top of ours as he laid his head on my chest. "Wake up, brother. Mom and Dad need us."

**Thank you for all the reviews. You, my lovelies, rock my world with all your love! So, I have good news, my semester is almost over and I will have more time to write. Although, I am going to miss my creative writing class. I really loved it and I got so much amazing feedback from my peers and my professor, who told me that one of my poems was outstanding and almost universal. I have a recommendation to make for a friend who had put up her very first story. Her name is TwilightFeenx01 and the name of her story is 'A Forever of Our Own'. Go check it out and show her some love. Also, if you aren't reading 'The Impasse' by BittenInCA, you need to, cause it's fucking awesome! Tell her that I sent you over to her. Both of these stories can be found under my favorites.**


	31. Chapter 31

**EPOV**

I sat on the most uncomfortable chair in the entire hospital and watched my boys and Bella sleep. After Peter assured Bella that Alex would be out for a few more hours, he brought her in a cot. She and Anthony, who refused to lay down without her, laid down and were asleep in a matter of about sixty seconds. Anthony was wrapped as tightly as he could be around her and he had his head nestled in the crook of his mom's neck. There was no doubt in my mind that Bella was Anthony's mom.

I smiled to myself as I thought about how much our lives had changed in the last couple of months. Anthony had never been withdrawn or even shy but he had always been cautious about how close he got to anyone. Perhaps, that was my fault since I was that way, too. After Sarah died, it was hard enough to breathe much less put myself or my son out there. How many times had Emmett tried to set me up with some woman he knew and I would tell him to fuck off and leave me alone? Looking back, I can see it was because I was waiting for Bella. Even before I had met her, I was waiting for her and Alex to come into our lives.

I always told myself that Anthony and I didn't need anyone else. We had each other, my parents, brother, sister, and friends. Even though it was hard being around them all sometimes, watching how happy they were, how in love with each other Emmett and Rose were or Jasper and Alice. I didn't want them to feel the same pain and loneliness that I felt everyday, but I was jealous as hell of how they were able to hold each other every night, tell each other how much they loved each other. I missed that. I didn't even really see how lonely I really was until I met Bella, either. She and Alex came into our lives and, suddenly, we were a family. No longer broken but made whole.

I stretched out and ran my hands over my face as I heard the door to Alex's room open. Looking back, I saw Charlie peaking in. He smiled and motioned for me to come out into the hall. With one last look back at Alex, Anthony, and Bella, I stood up and headed out there. Charlie leaned against the wall, rubbing the back of his neck.

"How's he doing?" asked Charlie as soon as I had the door almost closed. Almost but not quite all the way closed. After all, that was my family in there.

"He's still out but Peter told us he would be for a little while longer," I said, quietly. Charlie nodded his head and sighed.

"Anthony's ok?" he asked. "He was so scared."

"He's snuggled up in Bella's arms, fast asleep," I smiled. "Thank you for taking such good care of them, Charlie."

"Don't," he said, putting his hands up. "Don't thank me for taking care my grandsons."

I smiled as I shook my head. "You really do think of Anthony as being yours, don't you?" I asked.

"He is mine," smiled Charlie. "Just like Alex belongs to your parents, Edward."

"You're right," I murmured, leaning against the wall next to him.

"Edward, I'm not one to get all mushy and sentimental but…" Charlie sighed as he took a deep breath. "My daughter has been through more than any one person should have to. Her poor excuse of a mother toyed with her emotions for most of her life, even though I tried to get that bitch out of our lives for good. Bella's always felt this need to take care of me, of everyone around her. When Brody died…" Charlie paused, running his hands over his face. "I loved that boy like he was mine and it nearly killed us both to lose him like that. Then Bella found out that she was pregnant and suddenly, she had a reason to keep going. Alex is her life, her everything. Or he was until you and Anthony came into the picture," Charlie said, smiling.

"Charlie, he still is," I insisted.

"No, I know that he is." Charlie put his hands up to stop me from speaking. "I simply meant that you and Anthony are her life, her everything, now, too. Along with Alex."

"Charlie," I murmured, closing my eyes.

"I know, Edward," he said, quietly. "It's hard to let yourself love again."

"I do love her," I whispered, looking up at him. "And Alex."

"I know you do," smiled Charlie, placing his hand on my shoulder. "You four are a family."

Charlie turned and started walking down the hallway toward the waiting room. I knew my parents would still be there, waiting for word on Alex and how he was doing. Like Charlie said, Alex was their grandson just as Anthony and Elliott were. I turned and headed back into Alex's hospital room. Anthony and Bella were still snuggled up on the small cot, fast asleep. I slipped back into my seat and took Alex's tiny hand into mine.

Alex looked peaceful as he slept in his large bed. His checks were rosy red and he had a shimmer of sweat on his forehead. I leaned forward, resting my head on the bed as I watched him sleeping. There was no doubt in my mind that Alex was my son just as Anthony was Bella's. As I felt my eyes start drifting to a close, I could have sworn I heard Sarah whisper, _"We're watching over all of you."_

It felt like I had just closed my eyes when I heard the small giggling that I had grown to love so much over the last couple of months.

"I brought you your Spiderman," whispered Anthony.

"Thanks," murmured Alex. "I was afraid I had lost him."

"I kept him safe for you," said Anthony. "Does it hurt?"

"Yeah," muttered Alex. "But not as bad as it did before."

"Oh."

I slowly opened my eyes and looked up. Anthony was standing on the other side of Alex's bed, pulling on his bottom lip much like Bella does when she is nervous. Bella was still asleep on the cot. Both boys looked over at me.

"Hey, buddy, how are you feeling?" I asked Alex, still holding onto his hand. Alex smiled weakly and shrugged his shoulders.

"My stomach hurts," he said, quietly. He looked over at Bella. "Is my mommy ok?"

"Mommy's fine," said Anthony, before I could say anything. Alex looked from Bella over to his brother. "I took care of her for you, too."

"I don't need you to take care of me, little man," mumbled Bella. We all looked over at her; she was laying on the cot with a huge smile on her face. "It's my job as your mom to take care of my boys."

"And my job as your dad," I smiled, winking at her. Bella laughed as she climbed off the cot and stood up next to Anthony, resting one hand on his back and placing her other hand on Alex's, who was smiling like it was Christmas morning or something.

"You scared me, kid," sighed Bella. "Are you feeling ok? A lot of pain?"

"My stomach hurts," Alex said, frowning. "It hurts when I move."

"Yeah, it's going to for awhile," said Bella, matching his frown. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Just happy to see those beautiful eyes."

"He told me they would make you happy," whispered Alex. Bella pulled back a little and looked down at Alex.

"Who did?" she asked.

"Brody," murmured Alex. Bella gasped, bringing her hand up to her mouth. "He said that his name was Brody."

"Sweetie," whispered Bella. Anthony was looking between Bella and Alex.

"Who's Brody?" he asked, scrunching up his face. Alex looked from his mom over to Anthony.

"My father," said Alex. Anthony shook his head and stepped away from Alex's bed.

"No, my dad is your dad," insisted Anthony, pointing at me.

"Anthony," I said.

"No, you're his dad," yelled Anthony, taking off out of the room. I went to follow him but Bella ran out after him. I looked down at Alex, who looked scared.

"I didn't mean that you aren't my dad," whimpered Alex, lip trembling as he fought back the urge to cry. I sat down on the side of his bed, still holding his hand.

"I know," I smiled. "I may be your Dad, Alex, but Brody is your father. I'm sure he loves you so much."

"He told me that he was happy that you were my dad," said Alex, smiling. "He told me to tell you something."

"What?" I asked.

"He said to tell you that he gives you his permission," said Alex. "But I don't know what he meant."

"I don't know if I do either," I murmured.

"Is it ok if I call you Dad?" asked Alex, quietly. I smiled as I brought my hand up to his face and wiped off the tear that was hanging onto his cheek.

"Of course it is," I said. "I love you, Alex, and I love your mom so much."

"I love you, too, Dad," he smiled. The door to Alex's room opened and I looked over my shoulder to see Bella and Anthony coming back in. He was sniffling as he struggled to stop his tears from falling.

"I'm sorry," whispered Anthony.

"It's ok, Anthony," smiled Alex. "Dad and I worked it all out."

Anthony's face almost split open as his smile exploded on his face. Bella's smile was almost as big as our sons was. Anthony came over and climbed into my lap, placing his hand on top of mine and Alex's. "That means that you are my brother for real now," he said.

"I always wanted a brother," said Alex, smiling bigger than he ever had.

"Now, you have one," chuckled Bella, coming up behind me and Anthony. She wrapped her arms around the two of us, laying her chin on my shoulder.

Alex and Anthony started talking about all the things they could do now that they were brothers. Bella stayed behind me, smiling against the side of my neck while we listened to our boys talk about the family we had become. I knew in this moment that I wouldn't be able to let either of them go. Bella and I were going to need to sit down and talk about a few things because I wanted us to be together, under the same roof. Just like a real family should be. I just wasn't sure how to go about talking to her about us moving in together.

After about an hour, Alex drifted off to sleep. He tried to be strong but his stomach was sore and it took a lot out of him. Anthony ended off drifting off to sleep not long after Alex did, feeling his own exhaustion creeping up on him. It had been very difficult for Anthony to watch his brother in pain. I lifted my son up and laid him down on the cot, tucking the blanket up over his shoulders. I turned and smiled at Bella as I crossed the room, pulling her into my arms. She sighed, laying her head against my chest.

"Knock, knock," murmured Esme. Bella and I looked over and saw her, Carlisle, and Charlie standing in the doorway to Alex's room, smiles plastered on their faces. "Can we come in?"

"Sure," whispered Bella. "Just keep it down, they just went to sleep."

"Oh, ok," said Esme, softly. The three of them came in and sighed in relief when they saw that Alex was ok. Of course, my father, the doctor, headed right over and started checking out his vitals. It was especially important to him with his grandson in the bed. "His color looks good."

"He's doing pretty great," murmured Bella. "Sore and very tired but he's done great."

"He'll be sore for awhile," sighed Carlisle, turning back to us. "You two need to go eat."

"We're fine," I insisted, wrapping my arms around Bella. She simply nodded her head in agreement with me.

"You need to eat," he said, again. "These boys need you both at full strength. I'm not asking; I'm telling you as a father and a doctor to go eat."

"We're-"

"Isabella," said Charlie, cocking an eyebrow. "Go."

"Fine," muttered Bella, realizing that we had no choice in the matter. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

"Take your time," smiled Esme, taking the seat I had been sitting in before. "We've got everything under control."

"I'm sure you do," murmured Bella.

She looked back at each of the boys before heading out of the room. It was hard to get my feet to follow her but I did. I slipped my arm around Bella's waist as we walked down the hallway, following the signs to the cafeteria. None of the food looked that great but we ended up getting some kind of chicken pasta thing and a salad. Once we both grabbed a coke, we paid for our lunches and headed to a table in the back.

For a few minutes, Bella and I sat across from each other and ate in silence. It wasn't one of those awkward, weird silences where you weren't sure what to say. No, it was one of those peaceful silences where you just enjoyed the sound of nothing but the quiet around you. As a parent, you never really get to hear that very often and you learn to appreciate it that much more.

"Does it bother you that Anthony called me Mommy?" asked Bella as I was taking a long drink of my coke. I choked, spitting it all over myself. "Fuck, Edward, I'm sorry."

"It's fine," I said, wiping my shirt with my napkin. "Why would you think it bothered me?"

"I was just wondering," she murmured, shrugging her shoulders.

"Bella, I love it that he called you mommy," I smiled, reaching over and grabbing her hand. "You are his mom."

"Sarah told me that," whispered Bella, looking up and meeting my eyes. I wasn't sure what to say. "I had a dream Friday night that you and the boys were playing soccer at the park. I was sitting under the tree, like I always do, when she came over and sat next to me." Bella smiled as she wiped a tear off her face. "It took me a moment to realize who she was. Edward, she was beautiful."

I nodded my head as I struggled to keep my composure. "She was," I murmured.

"She told me that she was happy that you and Anthony had me and Alex," cried Bella. I slid out of my seat and into the chair next to hers, bringing my arms around her and holding her. "She said I was Anthony's mom and that she just wanted us to be happy. I promised to love you forever, both of you. She told me that Brody told her that she would know me because of my eyes. He always called them my soulful, baby browns."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" I asked, sniffing back my own tears.

"I didn't want you to think I was crazy," she murmured, looking up at me. "Edward, do you think they are watching over us?"

"Yeah," I whispered, laying my forehead onto hers. "I think they're watching over all four of us, making sure we don't fuck this up."

For several minutes, Bella and I sat in silence and just enjoyed the quiet. I had no doubts that Sarah and Brody were watching over us, pushing us together. Bella raised her hand up, laying it on the back of my neck. I cupped her face in between my hands and brought my lips down onto hers, letting them speak for me.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled my lips back but kept my forehead against hers. "Move in with us," I said, breathlessly. Bella inhaled deeply and pulled back from me. Her eyes were guarded, heavy with concern. "Bella."

"Why?" she asked, moments later.

"Why do I want you and Alex to move in with us?" I asked. She dropped her eyes as she nodded her head. "Because I love you both. Because Anthony loves you both."

"And we love you, but don't you think it's kind of fast?" she asked, leaning back in her seat. "Edward, we've only known each other for a couple of months and only seeing each other for a handful of weeks."

"I know," I said, weaving my fingers in with hers. "But I want our family to be together, under the same roof. I can't go back to my house every night, knowing that one of my kids isn't with me."

"But that was the house you shared with Sarah," she whispered. I leaned back in my seat and thought about what she was saying. "Edward, I love you but I don't want to live in a house that you and Sarah lived in together. It would be awkward," she explained.

"Suppose, I get that," I said. "I wouldn't want to live in the same house that you and Brody lived in together, either."

"So where does that leave us?" she asked.

"I don't know," I smiled, looking up at her.

Bella and I finished eating and tossed our trash away before we headed back down to Alex's room. As we took our seats around his bed, I vowed to find a way for the four of us to be together. I was done living away from half of my family.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I know it's been a while since I updated this. For those of you who aren't reading my other stories, we had a family emergency come up a couple of weeks ago and it put me behind on my writing. Plus, I've struggled just getting back into the swing of things. Thank you all for having patients with me. I really appreciate it. Since I won't be updating before Christmas, I have a gift for you in the form of a recommendation. Go check out LaMomo's 'Business Class Girl.' It's a great little story that is not getting nearly enough love. It can be found under my favorites.**


	32. Chapter 32

**BPOV**

"Help me, Spiderman," cried Anthony, holding up his little Mary Jane action figure. He had her dangling from his fingers, like she was fixing to fall to her death. "Don't let me fall."

"I'm coming, M.J.," called Alex, or Spiderman in this case. Alex brought his action figure up slowly, barely wincing as he shifted in his hospital bed. He swooped up and grabbed Mary Jane, bringing her back down to the bed. "See, I've got you."

"Not for long," cackled Edward, holding up his Green Goblin action figure. "I will take you all out."

"Will not," giggled Alex, having Spiderman shoulder up to The Green Goblin. "She's my woman and you can't have her."

"Your woman?" I asked, from my chair in the corner. All three boys looked over at me and smiled. "She's your woman?"

"Yep," smiled Alex, picking up his Styrofoam cup. "I need more water, please."

"Since you asked so nicely," I smirked as I stood up. I picked up his little pitcher but it was empty. "I'll be right back."

I headed out into the hall as I heard Edward and Alex arguing over whose woman Mary Jane really was. A smile spread on my face when I thought about how good my son was doing. We had been here for three days now and he was doing amazing. The first time he got out of bed was one of the worst moments of my life as a parent. Seeing the pain on his face and the tears falling from his eyes. No parent should have to see their child physically hurt like that. Poor Anthony was nearly as upset as Alex was as he watched his brother struggling to sit up much less take the few steps he took at the time.

Anthony had refused to leave the hospital at all. Carlisle and Esme had gone back to Seattle the day before and tried to take Anthony back with him so he wouldn't miss anymore school but he refused to leave me, Edward, and Alex. He looked Carlisle in the eye and said that as long as his parents and brother were in Forks, that he would be, too. It made me proud to think of him taking a stand like that, even if he was only five years old.

I walked down the hall and refilled Alex's pitcher with ice and water. We were hoping to get to go home today, since Alex was doing so amazing. I knew he would do even better once we got home, back to his bed and all the comforts of home. Of course, the only problem with that was the fact that Edward and Anthony had their own house and Alex and I had ours. I didn't want to live apart from them any longer but I also knew that I couldn't live in the house that he shared with Sarah. Not anymore than he could live in the house I shared with Brody. We needed to find someplace that was ours; his, mine, and the boys'. It was the only way it would work for all of us. Edward and I agreed that we needed to put our houses up for sale and start looking for one to buy together but what do we do in the mean time? How could I sleep at night without Edward's arms around me or knowing that my son was not with me?

"Earth to Bella," sang Peter, waving his hand in front of my face. I shook my head and looked over at him. "I've been calling your name for like five minutes."

"Five minutes? Really?" I asked, looking at my watch. "I've only been here for like thirty seconds."

"Just as sassy as ever, I see" he laughed, leaning against the counter behind him. He folded his arms in front of his chest, smiling at me. "So how have you been?"

"Other than seeing my son have to have major surgery, I've been great," I said, rolling my eyes. "How have you been?"

"Eh, I'm here," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Char says I work too much."

"How is Charlotte?" I asked, leaning against the counter next to him.

"She's…" Peter trailed off as he thought about his wife. "Well, she's still a little crazy but you know that's what I love the most about her. She misses you. I practically had to sedate her to stop her from coming up here when I told her that Alex was in here."

"Why didn't you let her?" I asked, chuckling.

"To protect your new man," he snorted. "I could not in good conscience expose him to her. She would scare him off. Shit, do you remember what she did to Brody the first time they met?"

"I do," I murmured, nodding my head. "He looked pretty fucking silly with spaghetti sauce running down his face."

"Yeah, but that's when I knew I was in love with her," smiled Peter. "Any chic who would douse my best friend in spaghetti sauce just to get him to laugh, is a keeper."

"I'm sorry," I said, sadly.

"For what?" he asked. I sighed as I turned and looked up at him.

"That I pushed you guys away after Brody died," I murmured. "It just hurt too much to be around you and Char all the time."

"We know," he said, quietly. "It hurt, Bella, but we understood. We've missed him and you so much. Alex looks just like him."

"More and more everyday," I whispered, dropping my eyes to the floor.

"Does he make you happy?" asked Peter. I shifted my eyes back up to him and knew he was talking about Edward.

"Yes," I said, softly. "I never thought I would feel like this again but, he and Anthony…Peter, they…well, they made us a family. I've never seen my son smile the way he does with Anthony and Edward. I'm in love with them," I whispered, feeling my eyes fill up with tears.

"Brody would have liked him," whispered Peter, sliding his arm around my shoulder and bringing into his embrace.

"He really would have," I murmured. "I still miss him, though."

"That will never end, Bella," said Peter. "Brody is living through that kid of yours. The last thing he would have wanted was you to be wallowing away for him."

"I know," I said, sniffing back my tears as I pulled back. "Tell Charlotte I love her and I will call her soon. Maybe I'll even introduce her to Edward."

"I thought you wanted to keep him," laughed Peter, following me down the hallway toward Alex's hospital room.

I pushed the door open and smiled at the sight before me. Charlie was sitting on one side of Alex's bed with Anthony in his lap while Edward was on the other side, arm draped behind Alex. The look on my boys' faces, huge smiles and looks of excitement as my father and their father played Spiderman with them, was priceless. As I brought my hand up to my mouth, trying to stifle the tears that had built up in my eyes, Peter placed his hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently before heading into the room.

Edward looked back at me, smiling, but his smile faded when he noticed that I was on the verge of tears. He stood up and came over to me, pulling me into his arms and held me as close as he could. I wasn't even sure why I was crying. I wasn't upset or sad. Quite the opposite, actually. For the first time in way too long, I felt like I wasn't the freak anymore. I was loved and I had an amazing little family. I was truly lucky.

"So are we about ready to get out here?" asked Peter, sitting on the side of Alex's bed.

"Yes," sighed Alex, laying his head back. "I don't like this bed."

"I don't much like it, either," frowned Peter. "But since you've been such a good little man, I am going to let you go home with your mom. How does that sound?"

"Can my Dad and Anthony come home, too?" asked Alex, frantically looking over at Edward.

"Um," said Peter, looking back at me.

"Of course they get to come home with us," I said, smiling. "We're not leaving them here, honey."

"Good," sighed Alex, clearly relieved as he looked over at Anthony. "That was close."

"I know, I thought they were going to leave me here," he grumbled. "I wouldn't have been very happy about that."

"Why not?" asked Peter. Anthony looked right at him, raised one of his tiny eyebrows.

"Have you seen the food here?" he asked. "It's almost as bad as my Dad's. Thank goodness my Mom is a good cook or I wouldn't get to eat anything good."

I turned into Edward's chest and laughed as Peter and Charlie laughed, heartedly. Edward, on the other hand, sighed, throwing his hands in the air. "I am not that bad."

"Of course, you're not," I said, soothingly. Edward rolled his eyes as I went over and placed my hand on top of Alex's and looked at Peter. "So we can go home now?"

"I should make you stay for dinner," he said, giving Anthony a look. Right on cue, Anthony grimaced and shook his head. "But since you have a long drive back to Seattle, I won't make you stay. Take him in a few days to get his staples out. No baths until then and make sure you cover his incision before he showers. No spicy foods for at least the next week and no school until next week."

"Yes," exclaimed Alex, throwing his fist into the air. Peter laughed heartedly as he stood up.

"Just like someone else I knew," he snickered. He pulled Alex's discharge papers out of his folder and handed them to me. "I wrote my home and cell number on here, Bella. If you need anything, anything at all, please call me. You know I would do anything for you."

"I know," I said, quietly as I hugged him. "Thank you for taking such good care of him."

"He's a good kid," whispered Peter. "They both are. Be happy, Bella."

"I will," I murmured. Peter kissed my cheek before walking over to Edward. He held out his hand, which Edward took tentatively.

"Take care of them," said Peter, looking back at us. "All three of them."

"I will," said Edward, sincerely.

Peter nodded his head before he walked out, letting the door shut behind him. Charlie cleared his throat as he stood up and put Anthony in his seat. "Well, I guess, that's my cue that it's time to get out of here," said Charlie. He leaned down and pressed his lips onto Alex's head. "Take care, Squirt. I'll call you in a day or two."

"Ok, Grandpa," Alex smiled, wrapping his arms around my father's neck. Alex released him and Charlie knelt down in front of Anthony.

"I'll call you, too, ok?" asked Charlie. "I'm gonna need to know that you are taking care of your brother and mom. And maybe your dad, too."

"I promise, Grandpa," smiled Anthony, hugging him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," murmured Charlie.

Charlie kissed the top of Anthony's head before walking over and shaking Edward's hand. I could see the silent conversation between them. My father was surely telling Edward that it was his job to take care of us, all of us. Edward nodded his head as if to say that he knew this already and was going to make sure that we were happy. Charlie smiled as he let Edward's hand go and came over to me, wrapping his arms around me.

"Get some sleep," he ordered. "You look like crap."

"Gee, thanks, Dad," I snorted, pulling back. I raised my hand up to his cheek. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too, kiddo," smiled Charlie, leaning in and kissing my forehead. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks," I murmured.

Charlie turned and walked out of the room, leaving me, Edward, and the boys. Our little family. I helped Alex take off the hospital gown he was wearing and pull on a pair of clean underwear, black and white flannel pajama pants, and a black t-shirt, all of which Alice had sent for him. She included a note that said that she knew he was going to need some clean clothes and that she loved him. It was sweet to think about how much she cared for my son.

Once we had him dressed and with shoes on, his nurse, an older lady with short graying hair and a huge smile on her face, came in. Her name was Lois and she had really taken to Alex while he was here. I suspected that she requested to be his nurse because she was here on every shift but the night shift. She pushed his wheelchair into the room and sat down in it. She had two small boxes in her lap.

"So I hear you are getting out of this place?" she asked, smiling at him and Anthony, who was sitting on the bed next to Alex.

"Finally," sighed Alex.

Lois nodded her head as she held out the two boxes. "Well, I got you two a little something to remember us by."

Alex and Anthony both grabbed the boxes from her hands and started ripping the paper off of them. I cleared my throat, causing them both to look up at me. "Don't you need to tell Lois something?" I asked.

"Thank you," both boys muttered.

"You're welcome," she laughed. "Now, open them!"

The boys dug back into the wrapping paper and pulled the lids off the boxes. They both gasped as they pulled out the matching Spiderman pillowcases. The only difference was that Alex's had his name embroidered on his and Anthony's had his name on his. I brought my hand up to my mouth as I turned to Lois.

"You shouldn't have done that," I murmured, feeling my eyes fill up with tears. I seem to be quite the emotional mess today. Lois stood up and grabbed my free hand.

"I wanted to," she insisted. "These two little boys are very special. I'm sure you know that already."

I nodded. "I do," I whispered. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said. She turned to the boys. "Well, let's get the show on the road, shall we?"

Alex and Anthony nodded their heads, vigorously. Edward and I helped Alex off the bed and into the wheelchair. Even though it was getting easier for him to move around, it was still quite painful. Anthony, Edward, and I gathered everything up and followed Lois and Alex down to the elevator. I certainly wouldn't miss this place at all.

I waited in the lobby with the boys and Lois while Edward pulled the car up in front of the hospital. Very carefully, I helped Alex out of his wheelchair and over to Edward's car. It was moments like this that I was glad we didn't bring my SUV. Trying to get him up in there would be extremely painful for him. I helped him and Anthony get their seatbelts on while Edward loaded everything into the trunk of his car. Both boys insisted on keeping their pillowcases with them in the backseat. I climbed into the passenger seat and pulled on my seatbelt as Edward slid in behind the wheel. We looked back at our boys before he started the car and we headed home.

The three hour car ride was one of the longest in my life. Alex did ok for about the first half of the ride but then his stomach started getting sore from sitting up so long. Edward had to pull over for a few minutes so we could let him out and let him stretch. He tried to be brave but a few small tears escaped from his eyes. My heart broke for him and Anthony, who stood next to Edward with a look of fear on his face. Perhaps, he thought that we were going to have to take Alex back to the hospital.

Finally, Edward pulled his car up into the driveway in front of my house. He helped Alex out of the car and up into the house. Anthony grabbed Alex's toys and pillowcase and followed them in while I started pulling luggage, balloons, and flowers from the trunk. Our friends and family had gone overboard with sending gifts to us. I knew it was their way of making sure that we knew we were loved. I had just carried in the last of the flowers when Edward came down the stairs.

"Is he ok?" I asked. Edward nodded his head as he wrapped his arms around me.

"They are asleep," he murmured. "I laid down with Alex and started telling him a story from when Emmett and I were little. Next thing I knew, Anthony was curled up on the end of the bed, sound asleep. I couldn't wake them up."

"I'm glad you didn't," I smiled, turning in Edward's arms. "I don't want you to leave."

"I don't want to leave," he murmured, pressing his lips down onto mine. "You're my home now."

"And you're mine," I whispered.

Edward tightened his arms around me as he lifted me off the ground. My legs automatically wrapped around his, clutching onto him as tightly as I could. Edward carried me over to the stairs, being careful not to fall on the way up, and down the hallway to my bedroom. He pushed the door shut with his foot and laid me on the bed, moving so that he was hovering over me. His lips never left mine. Slowly, we removed each other's clothes, letting them fall where ever they touched the ground.

Edward brought his hand up to my face as he slowly slid himself into me, filling me completely. I gasped at the feeling of sheer ecstasy that spread through me. Edward rolled us so that he was on his back and I was straddling him. I sunk even deeper onto him, causing us both to moan. My head fell backwards as I started shifting my hips, taking him in and out of my body as fast as I could. I needed him; needed to feel him inside of me. I hadn't needed someone like him in so long.

Edward gripped my hips in his hands, shifting up and meeting me thrust for thrust. I placed my hands on top of his, letting him move me as he needed to. Neither of us were making a sound; we were letting our bodies speak for us. They were telling each other how much we loved each other, how much we needed to be together. Edward sat up, pulling my legs around us and pulling me further down onto him.

Moments later, my body shook as I reached my climax, shuddering around Edward and pulling him over the edge with me. His lips found mine as we came together, holding onto our love for each other and our new family.

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews. When my daughter was in the hospital almost a month ago, she received three different pillowcases. One was from a woman who simply enjoyed making them for the kids on the pediatric floor, another was from students that lived in the dorms of our local university, and the other was from a woman who volunteers with a non-profit organization raising money for cancer research. No, my daughter does not have cancer. They explained that they gave the pillowcases out so that the kids would have something to brighten up their rooms and it worked. My daughter loves all three of hers. I just wanted to share that with you.**


	33. Chapter 33

**EPOV**

By the time the following Monday came around, we were all going a little stir crazy. Anthony and I had been staying with Bella and Alex, neither of us were ready to go back to our house. It was no longer our home. It was merely the building that held all our belongings but at the same time, Bella and Alex's house wasn't our home, either. Bella and I were going to have to find something, anything, soon because we needed to be together, all of us.

Alex was doing remarkable. Everyday I watched him growing a little stronger than he was the day before. He and Anthony were loving sharing a room together and Bella and I would hear them whispering until through the late hours of the night, telling stories from their five years on this earth. The way they told it, they were a couple of old men, who had lived through the war. Of course, the part I loved the most was holding Bella in my arms every night. Feeling her body pressed against mine, knowing that she would be there in the morning, it just made everything perfect. We had the perfect little family.

Today was going to be a rough day, however. Alex and Anthony were going back to school for the first time in a week and I knew that both Bella and I were terrified about how Alex would do. While he was getting much stronger, he was still very sore and had be careful. School wasn't always the easiest place for kids. Bella rolled onto her back, bringing her arm up and over her head. Her lips were parted slightly as she slept. She was beautiful and she was all mine.

"It's creepy when you just stare at me," she grumbled, slowly opening her eyes. "Morning."

"Morning," I murmured. "Are you ready for today?"

"No," she whispered. "Are you?"

"No," I admitted, "but we have to let him, let both of them, go, don't we?"

"Yeah," she sighed, frowning. "I've enjoyed having the boys here, though."

"Me too," I smiled.

I leaned down, pressing my lips down onto hers. Just then the door to her bedroom was pushed open and Alex and Anthony came rushing in. They started gagging, causing me and Bella to start laughing as I pulled my lips away from hers. Both of the boys were already dressed for school. They were both wearing black sweatpants and their matching blue Spiderman shirts that Esme had gotten them. She was only too excited to buy them matching shirts and neither Bella nor I felt like arguing with her.

"Are you two going to keep kissing?" asked Anthony, climbing up on the bed. "Because we're hungry."

"Hungry?" asked Bella, helping Alex up on the bed. "Hmm, what do you want us to do about that?"

"Make us some pancakes," begged Alex, leaning back against Bella's pillow.

He jutted out his bottom lip, making a very pathetic little whining noise. Suddenly, Anthony started making the same noise. Bella and I looked over at him and saw that he, too, was pouting. Bella groaned, bringing her hand up over her face. The boys both looked over at me, wiggling their eyebrows and telling me to do it, too. Who was I to say no? So I leaned past Anthony and started begging, as well.

"You three are pathetic," groaned Bella, smiling. "Ok, ok, I'll make you some pancakes. Just no more pouting."

"Yay," the three of us cheered.

"Jeez, give me a few minutes and then I will be downstairs," laughed Bella.

"Come on, boys," I smiled. "Let's go make sure we have everything ready for your first day back at school."

The boys both groaned, clearly not nearly as excited about going back to school as they were about getting some of Bella's pancakes. After I got dressed, I followed them down the stairs and made sure that they had their backpacks together. Alice had dropped off their missing work, hoping that it would give them something to do while they were at home. They managed to get half of it done but neither Bella nor I were pushing them to get it done in a timely fashion. This was kindergarten we were talking about.

Bella came down a few minutes later, smiling as she walked into the kitchen. I left the boys sitting on the couch, watching cartoons, and headed into the kitchen after her. She pulled the mix out of the cabinet and started making the pancakes. I leaned against the doorframe and watched her. Her long, dark hair was pulled up into a messy bun. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, and she had never looked more beautiful to me.

"You're staring at me again," she smiled, looking over her shoulder at me. "I'm going to get a complex."

"I love you," I said, sincerely. Bella smiled as she turned and looked at me. "I can't tell you that enough, Bella, but I love you and Alex so much."

"We love you, too," she said, softly. "You're acting kind of strange."

"Am I?" I asked, pushing off the doorframe and moving over behind her. I wrapped my arms around her, lowering my lips to her neck. "I don't mean to be."

"I don't mind," she murmured, turning her head and kissing me. "But they might if I don't get these pancakes made."

I sighed. "Ok, ok," I grumbled, letting her go. "I'll leave you alone."

"Why don't you get some plates down?" she asked, turning back to the stove.

I moved over and pulled four plates down from the cabinet and set them on the counter next to the stove. I leaned against it watching Bella as she cooked. As she flipped the pancakes on her griddle, she had a small smile playing on her lips. Her checks were a soft, rosy pink, and her eyes sparkled. She looked over at me, letting her smile grow. How had I ever survived without her? How had Anthony ever survived without her or Alex? Almost like Sarah was in the room with us, I heard her words, '_You did what you had to until your heart found her, my sweetheart.'_

"Is breakfast ready?" asked Alex, coming into the kitchen with Anthony right on his heels.

"Yep," smiled Bella, turning toward them. Her eyes met mine and her smile faltered. "You ok, Edward?"

"Yeah, of course, I am," I said, quietly. "Just thinking."

"Oh, ok," she said, looking down at the boys. "Let's eat."

The boys settled down at the table while Bella and I got their pancakes cut up and them each a glass of milk. I settled into the seat next to Bella and listened to the three of them talking as we ate our breakfast. The boys were going on and on about soccer practice tonight and how unfair it was that Alex couldn't play anymore. I agreed with him but his health was more important than getting to finish the last few weeks of soccer. Plus, it's not like he wasn't still going to be right there on the sidelines with me and the other boys. He was a part of the team still.

"Boys, go wash up and brush your teeth so we can go to school," said Bella. The boys groaned as they stood up and walked out of the room, muttering about how much they hated school. Bella turned and looked at me. "What is going on with you? You are acting so strange."

"It's nothing," I said, quietly as I took her hand in mine. "I've just been thinking."

"About what?" she asked.

"Us," I murmured. "You, me, and the boys."

"Oh," she whispered. "What about us?"

"Just how much I love you," I smiled. "I don't want to lose you or Alex, Bella."

"Hey, you're not going to lose us," she said, soothingly, bringing her hand up and cupping my face. "Baby, we are not going anywhere."

"Anthony and I just got you and Alex, Bella," I whispered, feeling so vulnerable right now.

Bella moved over, sliding herself onto my lap. I wrapped my arms around her, burying my face in her chest and held on as tightly as I could. It was irrational for me to be so emotional right now but I've already lost a wife and I wasn't prepared to lose another. However, Bella wasn't my wife, was she? _No, she's not, but maybe she should be. _Like she was sitting right next to me, I could hear Sarah's words. Were Bella and I ready for marriage?

"We're ready," yelled Anthony from the living room.

"We're coming," called Bella. I looked up at her. "Are you ok now?"

"Yeah," I whispered. "I guess I just got scared for a moment or something. I don't know."

"I've got you," she murmured, pressing her lips down onto mine. "And I'm not letting you go. You or Anthony."

"I know."

Bella and I headed into the living room to where the boys were standing, coats on and backpacks pulled over their shoulders. Bella and I pulled on our own jackets and led them out to my car, helping the boys get settled in the backseat. It was still hard for Alex to climb into the backseat of her SUV and the last thing either of us wanted was for him to be in pain before we headed to the school.

I pulled up in front of their school about ten minutes later, and the four of us headed inside to the office. Mrs. Cope smiled as she stood up and came around her desk, kneeling down in front of both of the boys.

"We are so glad to have you both back," she said, placing her hands on their shoulders.

"Thanks," whispered Alex.

"Yeah, thanks," muttered Anthony. Mrs. Cope smiled as she stood up and pulled two blue slips off the desk, holding them out to the boys.

"Give these to Mrs. Whitlock," she instructed. "And have a nice day."

"I'm sure they will," said Bella, placing her hands on their backs. "Let's go boys."

"Thank you," I said to Mrs. Cope before following Bella and the boys out of the office.

As the four of us made our way down to the boys classrooms, Alex placed his hand in mine. I looked down at him and saw him gnawing on his bottom lip, much like his mom does when she was nervous. I pulled on his hand, getting him to look up at me. His eyes were full of fear. I stopped and knelt down in front of him, bringing my other hand up to his face. Bella and Anthony looked back at us, concerned about what was going on.

"It's going to be ok, Al," I whispered. "Alice is going to make sure that you are ok."

"I know," he muttered, looking at the floor. "Do you think they missed me and Anthony?"

"Of course they did," I smiled. "How could they not miss the two coolest little dudes in the whole class?"

Alex smiled as he looked up at me. "Do you think Anna miss me?" he asked, blushing around his ears. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed that Bella was smiling.

"I'm sure Anna missed you more than anyone else," I laughed, quietly. "Now, are you ready?"

Alex nodded his head so I stood up. Bella smiled as she and Anthony turned and lead the way down to D-wing. As we approached their classroom door, all the kids turned and looked back at Alex and Anthony. Anna squealed and came rushing over, stopping right in front of us. She gently reached out and hugged Alex, who pulled his hand out of mine and hugged her back.

"I can't believe you are finally back," smiled Anna, pulling away. "Are you ok?"

"I'm still a little sore," said Alex, shrugging his shoulders. "Did I miss much?"

"Nah." Anna turned and walked with us over to the door. "The same old boring stuff."

Rose and Angela were standing next to Kate and Alice, all four of them had their hands up over their mouths, trying to stifle their squeals at the little Casanova and his girl. Bella had a huge smile on her face, and she was doing nothing to try it hide it at all. A bunch of the girls from their class came over and started hugging on Alex and Anthony, both of whom turned bright red from all the attention. The bell rang and Alice laughed, pushing open her door.

"Let's go, kiddos," she giggled. "We've got a lot of fun to have today."

Alex looked up at Bella, still pulling on his bottom lips. This time, however, Bella looked like the one that was about to have a heart attack or worse. He looked past her and right at me, silently asking me to help her. I reached over and slid my arms around her waist, pulling her body against mine.

"He's going to be alright," I murmured.

"I know," she fretted, knelling down in front of him and Anthony as Rose, Alice, Kate, and Angela looked on, sad frowns planted on their faces. "We'll be here after school to pick you up. If you need anything, tell Mrs. Whitlock and she will call us, ok?"

"Ok, Mom," said Alex, hugging Bella. He pulled back and came over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Take care of her, Dad."

"I will," I smiled, hugging him back. From over his head, I saw Bella and Anthony hugging. She leaned up and whispered something in his ear, something that made him smile from ear to ear.

"I promise, Mommy," he chuckled, leaning back. He looked over at me, holding up his fist. "Later, Dad."

"Later," I said, bumping his fist with mine.

Alice had a huge smile on her face and tears in her eyes as she nodded her head at both me and Bella, clearly happy about our little family. Bella stood up and I slipped my arms back around her waist, holding her as our boys walked into their classroom. Even though they had both been in school for well over two months, today felt like it was there first day all over again. Perhaps it was because today, they came to school as brothers.

"Come on," I murmured, pulling Bella away from the doors.

"They're going to be ok, aren't they?" she asked, looking up at me as we made our way back up toward the larger part of the school.

I nodded my head and said, "They are going to be just fine, love."

Bella and I silently made our way up through the main school and out to my car. Our minds were still with our boys, and even though I knew Alex and Anthony would be just fine with my sister, I worried. They were my boys and Alex has been through so much. Anthony had been so worried about his brother. A smile flittered across my face. It was so natural for me to see Alex as my son's brother and as my own son. He was always meant to be mine, just as Anthony was always meant to be Bella's son.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked as we climbed into the car.

"The boys," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "They make me smile."

"Me too," she said, smiling. "Do you think they knew on their first day of school that they would be brothers?"

"Yes," I murmured. "I think they wanted it so badly that they tried to do what they could to push us together."

"It worked," she smiled.

"That it did," I chuckled, leaning over and kissing her. "Let's go back to the house."

Bella nodded her head, leaning in and pressing her lips to mine again. I leaned back into my seat, started the car, and headed back over to her house. I pulled my car up into the parking lot of Bella's house and was surprised to see Lauren and Tyler sitting on the front steps. Sharing a look with Bella, we climbed out and headed over to them. As we got closer to them, I noticed that Lauren had red eyes, and tear stains on her face.

"Lauren, what's wrong?" asked Bella, slipping her hand into mine. Lauren laughed, harshly, as she stood up.

"What's wrong?" she asked, shaking her head. "How about the fact that my nephew was in the hospital for days and nobody bothered to call me?"

**Thank you for all the reviews. I really appreciate them more than you know. If you haven't gone to vote for the Twinklings Walk of Fame Awards, then go now. I am up for a Danger Diva award. **


	34. Chapter 34

BPOV

Stunned. I was completely fucking stunned. That was the only word that I could think that really fit what I was feeling as I stood in the middle of my front yard, in the rain, with Lauren screaming at me about how I didn't call her and let her know that my son had been in the hospital. I was just completely, fucking, stunned at how fucking selfish she was being right now.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" I hissed, harshly. "You come to my house and jump all over my ass because you weren't the first person on my to call list when MY SON needed me."

"I'm his aunt," she sneered.

"For all of five minutes," I snapped. She flinched back into Tyler's arms. "You think I owe you something, Lauren. I don't owe you shit. NOTHING!"

"Bella, calm down," murmured Edward, pulling me into his arms. "Let's take this inside and talk about it."

"She's not coming into my house," I snarled, pointing at her. "She's the same old, selfish Lauren."

"I am not being selfish," said Lauren, defending herself. "I was worried when I heard he was in the hospital and nobody would tell me what was wrong with him or if he was ok."

"Funny," I spat, "the last time I was sitting in that fucking hospital, needing you, you were too busy out whoring yourself around for a free fucking drink!"

"I should have know you would throw that all back in my face," she muttered. "No matter what I do, I will never be able to make up for what I did, Bella. I live every fucking day with the reminder that I fucked up everything!"

"Yeah?" I asked. "Me too. My little reminders name is Alexander Brody and until now, he's been with a father because you couldn't go one night without having a fucking drink, Lauren," I hissed. She dropped her eyes to the ground. "You may have the memories of what you did, or didn't do, but I have had to look in that little boy's face everyday for almost six years and see his father staring back at me."

"Don't you wish I could go back and change it all?" she asked. The rain had started coming down harder, saturating all four of us but I couldn't seem to care. "Everyday I've prayed that I would find Brody sitting in the living room, glaring at me but still alive!" she cried. "EVERYDAY!"

"ME TOO!" I screamed.

"Look, everyone calm down," said Tyler, pulling his wife into his arms. "This isn't helping."

"Then maybe you should have stopped her from coming over here," I hissed. "I am not in the mood to deal with her bitchiness."

Tyler dropped his arms around Lauren and stared at me. "She's being a bitch?" he asked. "Her showing concern for the only family she has left makes her a bitch?"

"No, her coming here and jumping my ass makes her a bitch," I muttered.

"Bella, I know exactly how you feel," said Tyler. "And-"

"You have no idea how I feel," I snapped.

"It's been nearly ten years since I looked into my daughter's beautiful face," he said, quietly. "Jasmine was only two when…" Tyler paused as he took a deep breath. "She was only two when she and her mother were killed by a drunk driver."

"But I thought…"

"I know what you thought," he said. "Kelly and Jasmine had been at the park for the afternoon. They begged me to go with them but I had to work. I always had to work. Anyway, Jasmine was getting tired so Kelly had called and said she was on her way back to the car and that she was going to stop and grab us some dinner on the way home. I bitched about her spending the money to eat out when she could just cook when she got home. She had just started to speak again when…" Tyler trailed off, bringing his hands up to his eyes and wiping away his tears. "When I heard the car hit them. There was…screaming and…."

I wasn't sure what to say. I had assumed that he had been a drunk, like Lauren. I never thought that he had gone through his own loss. "Jasmine was killed instantly but Kelly hung on for three days before she died," said Tyler, looking up at me. "It hurts everyday."

"It does," I whispered.

"But Lauren wasn't driving the car that killed Brody," he said. "She knew not to drink and drive."

"I know," I whispered. Edward brought his lips down onto the top of my head, silently reminding me that he was still there, still holding onto me.

"Do you?" he asked. "Because it still seems to me that you are putting her in the driver seat, and not that son of a bitch that killed your fiancé."

"But if she hadn't been out that night," I muttered, feeling my tears falling down my face.

"If my wife hadn't taken my daughter to the park," he said. "If I had gone with them, or if I hadn't told her she was being selfish for not cooking and spending the twenty dollars to pick up McDonalds." Tyler shook his head. "I miss my wife, and my daughter, Bella. I love Lauren, and our baby, but I miss them."

Painful, awkward silence hung between all of us. The only sound was the rain falling and the wind blowing gently.

"She was the most beautiful little girl," murmured Tyler. Lauren turned and slipped her arms around him. "Dark black hair, bright blue eyes, all smiles. All the time. She would climb in my lap and beg me to sing with her, read to her, do anything with her, but I was too busy. I was stupid and I wasted precious time that I had with my baby girl," he cried.

"Tyler, I…" I trailed off.

"For the first couple of years, I completely shut myself off from everyone," he continued. "My friends and family gave up on me, told me that I was giving up on life. They were right, I was because my life had been taken from me. I lost my job, my home, and was living on the streets, drowning myself in the memories, the regrets for not dying with them.

"Then one day, I was sitting in this alley, and I saw this woman come stumbling out of a bar. She was clearly drunk and she was trying to get into her car. All I remember was feeling like I was going to explode with rage. I scrambled over to her and ripped her keys out of her hand, throwing them away, and screaming at her that she killed them. The look on her face, still haunts me. I took off running, unsure of what had come over me. When I finally stopped, I found myself standing outside of this church. I walked in and down to the basement and found an AA meeting going," said Tyler, shaking his head.

"Everyone turned and looked at me, and I just started talking." Tyler ran his hand through his wet hair. "There I was standing in front of a bunch of drunks, letting all my anger out, yelling and screaming about them being reckless and stupid. I told them everything I hadn't been able to tell that man who took my family. I dropped to my knees as I cried. This woman came over to me, and placed her hand on my shoulder and thanked me," he murmured. "She thanked me for showing her what she could have done. She said that she had been cited for DWI three times. She said I saved her life.

"After the meeting was over, the guy leading the meeting insisted on buying me something to eat. I tried to tell him to fuck off but he insisted. So we were sitting inside this little diner down town and I was shoveling as much food in my mouth as I could before this guy decided that I wasn't worth it anymore," said Tyler. "I had just stuffed a handful of fries in my mouth when he said that he wanted me to come back to the church the next night and talk to his AA group again. I couldn't believe what the was asking. How could he think that I would want to spend one second in a room full of drunks?" Tyler smiled. "I was sitting in that booth when the door to the diner opened and I looked back. It felt like my heart stopped when I saw this little come running in, same dark hair, same bright eyes as my Jasmine." Tyler paused as he tried to collect himself.

"She was maybe three years old and she bounced right up to the counter and climbed onto one of the stools. Her parents came, laughing about how excited she was," he murmured. "She had a beautiful smile on her face. Simply beautiful." Tyler closed his eyes. "It was like in that moment, I knew that Jasmine and Kelly would want me to stop living in the past, stop dwelling in the pain. They would want me to move on, to live for them. So the next night, I went back to that church and told everyone my story. It was hard and it hurt to tell them about my family but I had to do it so that nobody else would die because people got drunk and drove."

"It wasn't until I walked into a meeting nearly three years later that I finally let go of my family and moved on," said Tyler, leaning his head down on top of Lauren's. "She gives me credit for saving her, Bella, but…she gave me a reason to live again. Our baby is our second chance to learn from the mistakes of our past and make Kelly, Jasmine, and Brody proud of us."

"It's not like I didn't call you on purpose, Lauren," I sighed. "I was so scared that I barely remembered my own name, much less anything else."

"I'm sorry for overreacting," she whispered. "Bella, I just love him so much. I don't want to lose him."

"I know," I cried. "I'm trying, Lauren, but I've been trying to protect him since before he was born."

"I will not hurt him," she sobbed.

"I want to believe you but it's hard," I said, thickly.

"You are never going to forgive me," she whispered.

"I already have," I murmured, causing her to look up at me. "But then you come here and demand information out of me. Lauren, my sons come first."

"Alex and Anthony?" she asked, softly. "You said sons."

"Yes, my sons," I said. Lauren nodded her head as she looked at the ground. "Alex is doing ok. He went back to school today."

"Is he in pain?" she asked.

"He's still a little sore but everyday gets better," I replied.

Lauren ran her hands over her face, through her hair that was sticking to her forehead. "Good, good," she murmured, lifting her eyes up to mine. "We should go. Bella…I'm sorry."

"Me too," I muttered, looking over at Tyler. "I'm really sorry."

Tyler nodded his head as he slipped his hand into Lauren's. "I'm glad Alex is doing ok, Bella. Hug him tight."

"I will," I whispered, feeling my tears building again.

Tyler and Lauren walked over to their car and drove off, leaving me and Edward standing in the front yard with rain falling down onto us. Edward slipped his arm around my waist and led me into the house and straight up to my bedroom. We headed into the bathroom and stripped off the soaking wet clothes we were wearing and climbed in under the hot water, letting it warm us up.

"I overreacted, didn't I?" I asked.

"No," he said, quietly. "Lauren had reason to be upset but honestly, she handled it wrong."

"I didn't even think about calling her," I murmured. "Why didn't I even consider that she might need to know?"

"Baby, we were both so tired and barely holding on as it was. All of our focus was on the boys and making sure they had what they needed."

"Yeah, but-"

"No, there are no buts," said Edward, spinning me around to face him. He brought his hands up to my face. "Bella, hindsight is just that. Sure, now it seems clear as day that we should have called her but we didn't think about it then because all we could see was that we had one son laying in that bed and another terrified that he was going to lose his brother."

"What would I do without you?" I whispered, quietly, laying my head against his wet chest.

"You won't find out," he murmured. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too."

Edward and I finished our shower and headed back into my bedroom, pulling on some clean, dry clothes. We headed into my office so I could go through all of my emails while he worked on rescheduling some shoots that he had canceled due to Alex's unexpected hospital stay. Most of my emails were junk mail but I did have one from Tanya, who said that she hoped everything was ok, since she hadn't heard from me in over a week. I sighed as I replied, explaining what had happened and that I would be working on the book as soon as I got life organized.

"Bella, come look at this," said Edward. I turned in my seat and saw him sitting on the small sofa, reading through the paper. I got up and moved over, sitting next to him. "Four bedrooms, two baths, two living areas, and large kitchen. It's not too far from here."

"Sale or rent?" I asked, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"Sale," he said, pointing out the ad in the paper.

"Pretty steep asking price," I grumbled. "We haven't talked to an agent about putting our houses on the market yet."

"I know, but we should at least look at it," he suggested. I looked up at him. "Baby, I don't like feeling like we are just visiting here."

"Me either," I sighed, leaning back on the couch. "Ok, I guess, we can go look at it. We should probably put our houses up on the market, huh?"

"Probably," smiled Edward, leaning back next to me. "Do you think the boys should still share a room?"

"Like we are going to have a choice in the matter," I said, snorting. "Maybe we should get them bunk beds."

"Um, yeah, that's just a trip to the ER waiting to happen," laughed Edward.

"True," I admitted, laying my head on his shoulder. "Do you think they are okay?"

"I'm sure they are fine," murmured Edward, turning and pressing his lips to the top of my head. "Perfectly fine."

The rest of the day was spent scurrying through the paper and circling anything that even looked remotely possible. Neither Edward nor I wanted to move out of district and cause the boys to have to change schools and leave all their friends. Anna would not tolerate that from us, I'm sure. Most of the houses in our area were too small, or way over priced but by the time we were done, we had found four possible places to call and go look at. I was thrilled and scared to death to take this step but I knew that it was the right move to make. Edward and I were ready.

Just after three, Edward and I climbed back into his car and headed back down to the school to get the boys. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous that he hadn't had a good day. School was long and he was still so sore. What if he wore himself out but didn't want to say anything? He really wasn't a complainer and wouldn't necessarily tell Alice if he wasn't feeling very good.

Edward must have been sensing my apprehension as we climbed out of the car because he reached over and took my hand in his. I smiled and blushed as I looked up at him. We made our way over to the back gates, where we found Emmett, Rose, Kate, and Angela all standing. Emmett didn't say anything as he stepped over and pulled me into his arms, hugging me.

"Em," I gasped. "Can't breath."

"Oh, sorry," he muttered, letting me go. I took a deep breath. "Are you ok, Bella? I've been so worried about you and Alex all week. I wanted to come see you but Rosie said that you both were okay and that-"

"Emmett," I said, interrupting his rant.

"What?" he asked.

"Alex and I are fine," I smiled. "He's doing remarkable, in fact. A little sore but over all, I'm so proud of him."

"Mmhmm," he said, nodding his head. "But how are you doing?"

"I'm…ok," I whispered, feeling everyone looking at me and Emmett. I was touched by his concern. "It was really scary but Edward and Anthony held me together."

"Good," murmured Emmett as Christina opened the back gates.

Emmett wrapped his arm around Rose as they headed into the school yard, followed closely by Kate and Angela, both of whom were smiling. Emmett may not show his sensitive side often but he did have one. Edward brought my hand up to his lips as we followed, everyone inside. Just as we were coming up to Alice's classroom, she opened the door. She was still smiling as she let Alex and Anthony out first. Alex had an arm full of red, blue, and green construction paper and a huge smile on his face.

"Momma, look," he said, shoving the papers into my arms. "Everyone made me a get-well when I was in the hospital."

"That was very sweet of them," I smiled, holding them close as I knelt down in front of him. "Are you ok?"

"Tired," he said, quietly. "I'm ready to go home."

"Me too," muttered Anthony, laying his head on my shoulder. "Can we go home, Mommy?"

"Of course we can," I murmured, quietly.

I kept Anthony close to me as I stood up, handing all the cards over to Edward. Tucking Alex into my other side, I smiled at Alice and followed Edward out to his car. We got the boys loaded into the backseat and headed back to my house. By the time we got to the house, both boys were passed out in the backseat. Edward and I gently lifted them out of the car and carried them up to Alex's room, laying them in the bed together. As I followed Edward out of the room, I looked back at my boys. We needed to find us a new home, someplace that was ours and just ours.

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews. To the girls over on The Young and the Rec Less, I told you I would have it done soon! LOL, if you are looking for some amazing stories from writers who don't get the love they deserve, come check out our new group over in face book. We rec a lot of great stories and have some great fun!**


	35. Chapter 35

EPOV

For two weeks, Bella and I had been in search for the perfect house but so far, we've found nothing but crap. The first place we went looked at was alright on the outside but once we got inside, we knew there was no way in hell we could buy it. It's not so much that it wasn't a nice house; it was just very dated and would cost us a ton to fix it up and by the time we did, we would be out of a lot of money. Money that neither one of us could really afford to spend. The second, third, fourth, and fifth houses weren't any better. All I wanted was to be with Bella and Alex, to know that every night the four of us would gather around our dining room table and enjoy a meal. Like a real family did.

For two weeks, Bella and I had been shuffling the boys back and forth between our two houses, determined to keep them together. We had already put both of our houses on the market and had several offers on both, but without any place to go, it was hard to be able to accept any of them. I was almost to the point to say fuck it all and just move into some dump apartment, if that meant getting to keep my family together.

"This place sound ok," said Bella, turning from in front of her computer. "Four bedroom ranch house with two bathrooms, and a two car garage."

"Aren't you supposed to be writing?" I asked, looking up from my laptop, where I was going through a few dozen pictures I had taken over the weekend.

"Just look at it," she sighed, smiling at me.

I got up and moved behind her, laying my hands on her shoulders. The house on the screen did look nice. Red brick, circle driveway and a huge yard for the boys to play in. It was in the right neighborhood and cheap, which made me nervous. Why would they be selling that house for maybe half of what it is worth?

"You don't like it," she said.

"No, it looks great but I can't help but wonder why they are selling it so cheap. I mean it's half of what that house would be worth on the market," I explained.

"Who the hell knows," she smiled. "I think we should look at it."

"What's one more house," I murmured, kissing the top of her head.

I went back to my computer while Bella called the owners of the house, asking them when we could come by and look at it. That was another thing that made me nervous, they were selling it themselves and not using a realtor. The owners told Bella that if we could come now, they would be there so Bella and I locked her house and headed over to theirs, hoping that maybe this might be the right place for us.

As we drove through the neighbor, I found myself watching Bella. She had a small smile on her face, a sparkle in her eye. Over the last couple weeks, my love for Bella had done nothing but increase. Every little thing she did for the boys, was done in love. She was the most incredible mother, and I knew both our boys were lucky to have her. I was lucky to have her.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked, laughing.

"You're beautiful," I murmured. Bella blushed as she looked over at me.

"Thank you," she said, quietly. "So are you."

"I'm beautiful?" I chuckled. She nodded her head. "Men aren't beautiful. They're handsome."

"I disagree," she smiled. "I think you are very beautiful."

"Not like you," I said, seriously.

Bella was still smiling as she pulled her car up in front of the house. It was even more incredible than it looked on the computer screen. Dark, red brick, well kept lawn, and several flower beds surrounded the house. I slipped my arm around Bella's waist as we made our way up to the front door and rang the doorbell, hoping that maybe this would be the house meant to be our home.

"It seems very nice," murmured Bella.

"It does," I replied.

The door to the house was pulled open and an older gentleman, with sparse grey hair and quiet blue eyes, looked between me and Bella, smiling. "You must be the folks who called about the house," he laughed, coarsely.

"Yes, sir," said Bella.

"Don't call me sir," he grumbled, stepping out of the way. "Makes me feel old."

"You are old, Marcus," giggled an older woman from behind him. She had long, dark black hair that had been pulled up into a bun on the back of her head. "Come on in. I'm Didyme Morgan and this is my husband, Marcus. "

"Thank you for taking the time to let us come by," I said, as Bella and I stepped in. "I'm Edward and this is, Bella. I hope we weren't interrupting anything."

"Of course not, young man," she smiled. Marcus snorted but didn't say anything as he shut the door to the house. "Well, this is the living room." she said, gesturing to the large room.

It was remarkable, really. Ten foot ceilings, beige walls, hardwood floors, and a built in entertainment/shelving system made out of a dark oak. It was incredible. "Did you build this?" I asked, running my hand along the side.

"Nearly forty years ago," confirmed Marcus, moving over and standing next to me. "Never had to repair it since. It's superior wood, makes all the difference."

"It's amazing," I murmured.

"Well, straight through here is the formal dining room," groused Marcus, shuffling his way through the living room into the formal dining room. Bella and I followed him and Didyme.

"We don't really use it much anymore," said Didyme. "Now that our children are grown and married, it's just during the holidays."

"It's a beautiful room," commented Bella. "What's the name of the color on the wall?"

"It's called Sangria," smiled Didyme. "There was a small hut on our honeymoon that was painted this very color. When we bought this house, we went through so many paint chips, trying to find the right one but it wasn't until I saw this one, that I knew what I wanted."

"That's very sweet," murmured Bella.

"It's red," grumbled Marcus, walking into the kitchen.

Didyme laughed. "We used to argue all the time over the name of this color," she giggled. "Back in the early days of our marriage when fighting was passionate."

Bella and I laughed quietly as we followed the two of them. The kitchen was just as nice as the previous two rooms, even nicer. There was a small breakfast nook with a built in booth. I suspected that Marcus might have built that as well. The countertops had dark granite and the cabinets were made of cherry oak. The stove, fridge, and dishwasher were wall stainless steel and the floors were hardwood, just like in the other two rooms.

As Bella and I followed Marcus and Didyme through the house, looking at laundry rooms, pantries, garages, and bathrooms, they told us more of their lives together. They had been married for thirty years and had four children, two boys and two girls. Marcus worked as a carpenter and Didyme was a teacher. They were expecting their first grandchild in a few months, something they were very proud of. It was clear as they showed us their house that they were very attached to it and I wasn't sure why they were willing to sell it so cheap. This house was a part of them, that much was clear.

We made our way back into the living room and settled down on their couches. "Mr. Morgan-"

"Marcus," he groused, interrupting me.

"Marcus," I started again. "I have to admit that we love this house."

"It's quite beautiful," added Bella, slipping her arm in with mine.

"Thank you," smiled Didyme, placing her hand on Marcus' arm. "Why do I sense a but coming on?"

"Because you aren't asking nearly enough for this place," I explained, smiling at them. "Why are you selling it so cheap?"

"Money doesn't mean anything to us, young man," laughed Didyme. Marcus snorted but didn't refute what his wife said. "Our children all live in Arizona and we want to be closer to them. We don't want to miss seeing our grandchild grow up. However, we don't want to sell our house to just anyone. We want the right people, the ones that are going to love our house as much as we do. The ones who are looking for a home and not just a building with walls and ceilings to live in. Does that makes sense?" asked Didyme.

"Perfect sense," answered Bella, "but why sell it so cheap?"

"Because it's hard enough to raise a family these days and we don't need the money," grumbled Marcus, standing up and moving over to the shelves that he had spent so many hours building. He lifted a picture, bringing it over to us. "This is a picture of our kids when they were little," he explained.

In the picture were four kids, clearly a product of the eighties. They were standing in front of a tall waterfall, smiles on all of their faces and their arms full of stuffed animals. The two boys reminded me of our boys. They had their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders and had the biggest, goofiest grins on their faces. The little girls, both younger than the boys, we holding one of the boys' hands, clearly adoring their older brothers.

"This picture was taken on our very first family vacation. The boys were ten and eight, the girls were five and six." Marcus smiled as he took the picture back from us. "We had spent so much time fixing this place up that we nearly missed them growing up. This was the summer I finished the shelves. The little one, Mari, came up to me and climbed into my lap one morning. She said 'Daddy, now that you built the shelves, what are we going to put on them?' I explained to her that we would put anything we wanted; books, pictures, whatever. She leaned away and said, 'Pictures of what, Daddy? We don't go anywhere.'" Marcus paused as he placed the photo back onto the shelf. "She was right, we didn't do anything as a family. We worked, they went to school, but life was passing us by. Di and I packed them up the next week and we traveled all over the west coast. When we get together, Mari always talks about our family vacation," smiled Marcus, all previous irritation gone. "You two do have children, don't you?" he asked.

"Two boys," smiled Bella.

"They grow up fast," he murmured, looking back at the picture.

"Well, we should be going," said Bella, standing up. I slipped my arm around her as I stood up next to her. "We'll be in touch. Thank you again for taking the time to show us your house."

"It was our pleasure," smiled Didyme.

Twenty minutes later, Bella and I were standing outside the gates at the boys school, waiting for the school day to end. As I stood there next to Bella, I replayed Marcus' words over and over. He was right, kids grew up too fast. I always thought that Anthony and I had fun and lived freely. And maybe we did a little, but when he looked back at his life would he remember the weekends that he was stuck at that studio with me?

"I like the house," whispered Bella, looking up at me. "I can see the boys playing in the backyard while we grilled hamburgers and hotdogs. I can see Charlie or Carlisle, perhaps both of them, playing football with them. I can see our family out in the backyard, celebrating birthdays."

"I like it, too," I murmured, turning so that my body was angled toward her. "But I feel guilty about paying them so little."

"I do, too, but something tells me that Marcus would be offended if we offered them more than their asking price," she said, quietly.

"Bell-a-roo," laughed Emmett, bouncing over a like a kid on a sugar rush. "How's it going?"

Bella smiled, laying her hand on my chest as she turned and looked at my brother. His timing sucked donkey dicks. "Hi, Emmett, have you been drinking sodas again? You know what they do to you."

"Ha ha," he smiled. "You think you are so funny, Bell-a-roo, but you are not."

"Oh, I'm plenty funny," she snorted. "You just don't have a sense of humor and stop calling me that. You know I hate nicknames."

"Whatever, Bell-a-roo," he snickered.

"One of these days, Emmett," muttered Bella as the gates opened, "I'm going to take you down and nobody is going to help you."

"Good luck, Bell-a-roo," smirked Emmett, ruffling her hair as he walked past her. She growled and brought her hand up, ready to smack him on the back of the head but I stopped her.

"You brother is annoying," grumbled Bella, letting me pull her arm down.

"I know," I sighed, nodding my head. Bella and I headed into the school. "He's nice compared to how he was when we were growing up."

"I can only imagine," giggled Bella.

A few minutes later the boys came rushing out of their classroom, arms full of papers and way too much energy. Alex was finally starting to get some of his strength back and he and Anthony were excited about the long weekend they had coming up in a few days. Thursday was Thanksgiving and it would be the first year that Anthony and I would spend the holiday with Alex and Bella. Well, with the rest of our family, too, including Charlie. I was looking forward to it very much.

"Dad, did you fart?" asked Anthony, causing everyone to look over at me and my face to burst into flames.

"No," I exclaimed. "Why would you ask that?"

"You had a funny look on your face," explained Anthony. "Like you were trying to clench your butt cheeks but can't."

All around us, people were laughing quietly. Except for Alice, who was laughing hysterically. "No, I did not fart, Anthony," I muttered. "Thank you so much for that, by the way."

"You're welcome," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Can we go now? I'm starving."

"Yeah, let's go," laughed Bella, taking the boys' hands in hers.

I followed the laughing trio out to the car and climbed into the front seat. I wanted to be upset with them but how could I be when hearing my kids and the woman I loved laughing together? It was music to my heart, that's for sure. Bella squeezed my hand as we pulled away from the school and headed back to her house. The boys got a snack and did their homework before heading outside to play, enjoying the short break from the rain. Bella poured us both a cup of coffee and sat down at the table next to me, taking my hand in hers.

"So the house," she said, softly. I brought our joined hands up to my lips, smiling.

"The house," I nodded. "Let's take the boys by and if they like it, we can make them an offer. I think they deserve a say in it, too."

"I agree," smiled Bella, leaning over and pressing her lips to mine.

Bella tried to teach me how to make meatloaf for dinner but, honestly, I was so distracted by her fantastic body, the sway of her hips, the flirty smile on her lips, that I didn't remember one step of what she told me. As she looked up at me through her lashes, not only did she know it, but she was getting off on it.

The boys talked animatedly over dinner about what all they had planned for the four day weekend coming up. After dinner, I helped the boys do the dishes, ignoring their grumbling about having to do everything and Bella's laughter as they sloshed me water. It was worth getting a little wet in order to hear her laughing.

After a quick bath, I took the boys upstairs and tucked them in. Anthony had started sleeping in Alex's bed with him. I settled on the side, pushing the long, lanky hair out of their faces. They both needed haircuts but were being stubborn about getting one.

"Dad, tell us story?" asked Alex. I smiled, loving hearing him call me dad. It just felt right.

"Once upon a time, there were two little boys," I said.

"What were there names?" asked Anthony, eagerly.

"Tony and Al," I smirked. "Now, Tony and Al were the best of friends. They did everything together."

"Like what?" asked Alex, smiling from ear to ear.

"Everything," I laughed. "They played soccer, baseball. They played cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers."

"GI Joe and Cobra?" asked Alex.

"Yes," I chuckled. "They told each other everything, too."

"Like how Tony wanted Al's mom to be his?" whispered Anthony.

"Or how much Al wanted a dad of his own?" murmured Alex.

"Yes," I said, quietly. "One day, Al's mom and Tony's dad took them both to the park. While they played, their mom and dad talked."

"Do they love each other?" asked Alex.

I nodded my head. "Very much so," I murmured, thickly.

"Are they going to be together forever?" whispered Anthony.

"Yes," said Bella. I looked over my shoulder and saw her leaning against the doorframe. "It's time for bed."

"Ok," murmured the boys. "Night."

"Goodnight," I smiled, turning back to them.

I leaned down and kissed them both on the forehead. Shutting the door behind me and turning off the light, I followed Bella out of their room and back downstairs. We straightened up the house, making sure the boys had everything ready for the next day at school. I took her hand in mine as we made our way back upstairs and down the hallway to her bedroom. As Bella shut the door behind us, she turned and looked at me.

"Tell me a story," she whispered.

"What kind of story?" I asked, pulling her over to her bed.

"Surprise me," she murmured, bringing her hands up to my chest, pulling on my t-shirt.

"There once was a man, who was lonely," I said, letting her pull off my shirt. "He was raising his son, trying to do the best he could. It wasn't until this…amazing woman came into his life, bringing along another son for him to love, that this man felt like he finally found his place in the world."

"She feels like that, too," whispered Bella, letting me peel off her clothes.

We stood before each other, naked and admiring each other's bodies, feeling the other's eyes raking over us. I pushed Bella back onto the bed, moving so that I was hovering above her. She was displayed before me, hair fanned out and a soft blush coloring her normally pale skin. I leaned down, dragging my lips down her neck to her collar bone and down until I reached her perky breasts.

Taking her nipple into my mouth, I dragged my other hand down her body, sliding my fingers around to the inside of her thigh. Bella moaned, bringing her hands up and weaving her fingers in my hair. Slowly, I moved my fingers up her leg, letting them brush across her wet folds. She was dripping with need and I needed to taste her. Dropping down, I lowered my lips to her, licking her slowly.

"Edward," she moaned, pulling on my hair.

"Baby, you taste so fucking good," I moaned, wrapping my arms around her thighs and burying my face in her, unable to get enough of her.

Bella withered under me, crying out my name and begging me not to stop. Like I could stop. I needed her, craved her. She was the sweetest of wines, the most exotic foods. Bella's back arched off the bed, crying out again as she let go and came for me. I drank all of her, savoring the taste of her on my tongue.

Moving my body up hers, I pressed the tip of my very hard erection into her. She was so warm and so tight, already hugging me. I leaned down and pressed my lips against hers as I slid into her, filling her completely.

"Fuck, Baby," I moaned, pulling my lips from hers. "You feel…fucking amazing."

"More," begged Bella, clutching onto me. "Please, more."

Hitching her leg up into my hip, I started moving inside of her, stifling the moans that were on the tip of my tongue. Being inside Bella was better at than anything I had ever felt before, better than the most stunning sunsets. Being with Bella, loving her with my body, was like going home. I wanted to go home over and over, for the rest of my life. She was my home, my life, my everything.

"Edward," she cried, arching into me as her walls clamped down on me.

"Baby," I murmured, thrusting harder, deeper and closing my eyes. "Fuck, Baby."

"Look at me," whispered Bella.

I snapped my eyes open, finding myself lost in her, all of her. Dropping my head into the crook of her neck, my body tensed as my orgasm washed over me and I came harder than I ever have before. I rolled off of her, pulling her with me so that she had her head laying on my chest.

"I love you," she murmured, draping her arm around my waist.

Turning, I pressed my lips down onto hers. "I love you, too," I whispered. _And one day soon, I'm going to make you mine….officially, _I added mentally. All I needed now was to talk to Charlie.

**Thank you for all the reviews! I never imagined that I would be breaking 3000 reviews, much less sitting on the verge of 3100. Hmm, I wonder what Thanksgiving is going to be like?**


	36. Chapter 36

**BPOV**

Today was Thanksgiving. This would be the first year that Alex and I would be spending the holiday at someone else's house. Normally, Charlie would come to my house and I would cook us a small dinner. We would end up watching some football game while Alex colored. Charlie would stay until we got Alex into bed, making sure to read him a story and tuck him in. Then Charlie would walked over to the front door, pull on his coat and tell me that he had a nice time and that he loved me. It wasn't much but it was all we had. How did we ever make it without Edward and Anthony?

I slid out of Edward's bed around four in the morning, quietly making my way downstairs to his kitchen. Even though this would be the first year that I didn't do all the cooking, I wanted to do my part so I offered to make some pies. I already made a couple of lemon meringue pies, a coconut crème pie, and a chocolate cake that my father informed me that I wasn't allowed to come without. I believe his words were 'If you don't bring the cake, you might as well not come at all.' That was Charlie for you. He had an unhealthy love for my chocolate cake.

I had just popped the two pumpkin pies and the two pecan pies into the oven and set the timer when I felt someone watching me. I looked over my shoulder and saw Edward leaning against the entrance to the kitchen, sexy smile on his face. My face turned bright pink as I tossed my oven mitts on the counter.

"Why are you staring at me?" I asked. Edward didn't say anything as he moved over an stood in front of me.

"Because you are so beautiful," he murmured, leaning down and kissing me.

I moaned into his mouth, while pressing my body against his. Edward lifted me up, setting me on the counter behind me, pushing my legs apart so he could stand between them. I locked my ankles around his back, pulling him against me and moaning. Edward was hard. His hands were on my hips as he ground himself into me. It was spectacular.

"Fuck, Edward," I gasped, pulling my lips from his. Edward moved his lips down to my neck, sucking and licking his way down to my collar bone. My eyes rolled back into my head and I moaned, quite loudly. He was killing me with his body.

"Baby, you are beautiful," he murmured, sliding his hands around to my ass. He shifted his hips up into me, once again pressing all of him into me. I brought my hands to his hair, pulling back sharply. "Fuck," hissed Edward.

I crushed my lips down onto his. Edward moaned into my mouth, letting my tongue in to explode. The kitchen was full of throaty moans, and four letter words being dropped as we rubbed our bodies against each others. It was the most intense, non-fully sexual experience in my life. Just as I was almost there, the phone rang.

"Oh, sweet Jesus," I cried out. "Phone."

"Let the machine get it," murmured Edward, kissing me again. I turned my lips away.

"It could be an emergency," I gasped.

Edward groaned as he let go of me, adjusting himself as he walked over to the phone, ripping it off the base. "Hello," he said, harshly. Suddenly, his expression softened. "Hey, Vic," he said, tossing me a soft smile as he walked into the living room with the phone. "No, this isn't a bad time. What's up?"

I hopped off the counter, taking a deep breath. Turning to the sink, I started washing dishes. I could hear Edward talking to his former sister-in-law. I probably should have been bothered that she was calling him this morning but I wasn't. Victoria was trying to find herself, hold onto the last bit of her sister that she could. The same thing that Lauren was trying to do with me and Alex. Something that I hadn't been letting her do, not since the day she showed up in front of my house like that.

My house. I was so ready to be out of my house and into our house. Edward and I had taken the boys over to the Morgan's house on Tuesday so they could check it out. The moment we pulled up the boys started cheering that it was perfect. Marcus and Didyme showed them around, like they had us, and laughed every time that the boys got excited over anything and everything. Edward and I stood back and watched as they told the older couple which room would be theirs and where they would put their swing set in the backyard. One look from Edward was all it took for me to agree to put an offer on the house. The Morgan's refused the added amount that we offered but accepted our offer at their asking price and not a penny more. Hopefully, we would be in there before Christmas, as a family.

"What you thinking about?" asked Edward, startling me. I brought my hand up to my chest as I looked back at him. "Sorry, I thought you heard me come in."

"I was thinking about the new house," I smiled. "Guess we are going to have to start packing both these places, aren't we?"

"Yeah, I think we should just dump everything and start completely new," he laughed, coming over and slipping his arms around my waist.

"Tempting," I murmured, turning in his arms. "But I'm pretty sure the boys are kind of attached to most of their toys."

"Good point," he said, nodding his head. "How about you? Are you attached to any of your toys?"

"Not at the moment," I said, winking at him. Edward moaned as he dropped his arms from around me.

"You are killing me," he grumbled.

"Not my fault that you went all caveman on me," I teased, turning back to the sink.

"Not my fault you have such a nice ass," he muttered, under his breath.

Two hours later, both the boys were up, had been fed, and were dressed. I had all the pies cooked and ready to go. Edward was in the shower and I was in his bedroom, digging through my suitcase as I tried to decide what to wear. He had offered me half of his closet but, as silly as this was going to sound, if I hung my clothes up in there, it would be like moving in here and I didn't want that. That part of the closet was Sarah's. It just didn't feel right to me.

I looked over at Edward as he came out of the bathroom, jeans hanging loosely on his hips and no shirt on. That wasn't helping me figure out what to wear today. He tossed his towel into his hamper and pulled on a white dress shirt, buttoning it slowly, knowing that I was watching him. Fucker was teasing me. I shook my head as I looked back at my clothes.

"Tell me again how dressy today is going to be," I said, clearing my throat.

"It's not," he laughed, gripping my hips and bringing his lips down to my ear. "You could wear a potatoes sack and nobody would even care."

"Potatoes sacks are so last season," I murmured, breathlessly. Edward chuckled against my neck.

"Then go naked," he offered, kissing my neck and stepping away.

"Um, no," I sighed. I pulled out a pair of jeans and an green sweater. "How's this?"

"Perfect," he said, swatting me on the ass. "Hurry."

"I'm hurrying," I muttered as Edward walked out of the room.

For some reason, I was starting to feel very nervous about spending the day over at Carlisle and Esme's house. It was silly and wrong, because I had spent plenty of time over at their house over the last few months but this was different. This was Thanksgiving, a day that you spend with family. Did Charlie, Alex, and I really belong there?

I tried to push those thoughts out my head as I got ready, pulling on the clothes I had picked, adding a smidge of make-up, and brushing my long hair out. I slipped on a pair of black, pointy-toed boots and headed downstairs. Edward, Charlie, Alex, and Anthony were sitting on the couch, waiting for me. Charlie and I hugged before we headed out of the house and climbed into my car, heading over to the Cullen house for thanksgiving.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled up in front of the large white house. Charlie let out a low whistle as we climbed out, clearly impressed with the house that Edward had grown up in. It was amazing, I would agree. We grabbed the pies and followed the boys up to the front door. Before we could knock, the door was pulled open and Esme had Alex and Anthony in her arms, hugging them both. It made me smile.

"My boys," she squealed. "I've missed you."

"You just saw us last week, Nana," scoffed Anthony as Esme pulled back.

"I still missed you," she smiled. She brought her hand up to Alex's cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," shrugged Alex. "Momma made pies."

"I can see that," laughed Esme, letting the boys past her. She reached out and grabbed the two pies in my hands. "They smell delicious. You really didn't need to make these."

"I wanted to." I smiled as followed her into the kitchen. It smelt amazing in there. The turkey, the dressing, the potatoes, broccoli, cheese and rice casserole, and so much more. "All of this smells so good!"

"Thank you," giggled Esme, setting the pies down. Charlie and Edward set their pies down but Charlie held onto the chocolate cake. "Afraid someone is going to steal it, Charlie?"

"Yep," he admitted. "Bella makes the best chocolate cake and I want to make sure I get the first piece."

"Hmm," she hummed, looking over at me. "What's your secret?"

"Chocolate syrup," I said. "Drizzle that over the batter before you bake it. It seeps down into the cake and keeps it moist and extra sweet."

"That does sound good," murmured Esme, turning to Charlie, who was guarding the cake still. "I'll make you a deal, Charlie. If you let me have a piece of that cake, and a big piece, I'll let you have the rest of the food that I cooked."

"No cake, no turkey?" he asked. Esme nodded her head, eyebrow raised. Edward was standing back, completely amused by the situation. Charlie looked down at the cake in his hands. "Ok, deal, but I get the first piece."

"Deal," laughed Esme, sliding the cake out of his hands. She placed it on top of the refrigerator. "This should keep it safe until after lunch."

"Let's hope so," muttered Charlie, walking out of the kitchen. Edward laughed heartedly as he followed. I shook my head, looking back at Esme, who was watching me.

"Charlie loves the cake."

"Oh, that was very obvious," she laughed. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," I murmured, blushing.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you," she said, turning back to the stove.

"You didn't," I lied.

"Oh, I did and I'm sorry," she laughed, looking over her shoulder at me. "I get a little giddy at the holidays. Well, more so than normal at least." Esme leaned against the counter next to the stove. "Has Edward told you about my tumor?" she asked.

I looked down at my feet. "Yes," I muttered.

"I'm not upset about it, Bella," she said. I looked up at her. "We found it right before Thanksgiving." Esme turned back toward the food. "We were told that if I didn't have it removed that I wouldn't live to see the New Year."

"That must have been very difficult," I said, quietly.

"It was," she admitted, looking back at me. "I couldn't see my family, Bella. I was missing my children growing up right in front of me but I was scared to let them go in. I spent that holiday in my bedroom having a pity party. I was angry and I lashed at a lot of people…" She trailed off. "Mostly at Carlisle, but he stood strong and took it," she murmured, blinking back her tears.

"He loves you," I whispered, through my own tears.

"I know he does," she smiled, wiping hers away. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's ok," I giggled. "Why did you decide to do let them operate?"

"Because as scared as I was to let them inside of my head, I was more afraid of never seeing my children," she said. "I never would have seen them fall in love and get married. I would have never seen my grandchildren. I would never have gotten to see Carlisle smile again. It was worth going through all of that, to see him smile."

"Esme," I whispered, quietly.

"I've loved him for more than half of my life, Bella," She smiled, running her hands through her hair. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get all weird."

"It's fine," I said, quietly.

"I just really enjoy the holidays now," she murmured.

"I'm starting to," I whispered. "Can I do anything to help?"

"We're ready to eat," she said, turning back to me. "I'm really glad you, Alex, and Charlie are here with us, Bella."

"Thank you, Esme," I said, quietly.

We gathered around the table, getting ready to eat our Thanksgiving dinner. The boys were sitting at the small card table with Elliott, all three of them laughing. Charlie was sitting on the other side of the table, next to Jasper and Alice. Little Ivy was perched up in her highchair, banging her little fists on the tray. Esme reached over and smoothed down her dark hair. Sitting next to Esme was Emmett, smiling as he watched his son, talking with mine and Edward's two. He looked over at me, nodded his head and smiled. Rose was sitting next to Emmett, holding her glass in her hand.

Edward moved his arm to the back of my chair as he leaned over and kissed my cheek. Carlisle, who was sitting to my left, stood up and picked up his wine glass. Looking around at all of us, he smiled.

"We have a Thanksgiving tradition where we take turns telling one thing that we are thankful for this year," said Carlisle, looking around at all of us. "Let's start with the boys."

We all turned and looked at the boys. Elliott stood up, nervously shifting from one foot to the other. "I'm thankful that I'm not grounded anymore. Teaching the kids at school how to play poker was not my best move," he said, blushing around his ears. We all laughed quietly as he sat down. Anthony stood up and looked right at me.

"I'm glad I finally have a mommy," he said, softly. I brought my hand up as tears filled my eyes. "I've been waiting for you for a long time, Mommy."

"Me too, Sweetie," I cried.

"And I'm thankful for Spiderman," he added. Everyone burst out laughing, causing him to sit down with a big smile on his face. Alex stood up, pulling on his bottom lip, like he wasn't sure what he wanted to say.

"This year I am happy that my mom doesn't cry herself to sleep anymore," he said, quietly, and all laughter stopped. "I don't like it when she cries," he whispered.

I pushed away from the table and walked over to my son, lifting him up into my arms. Alex wrapped his arms and legs around me, and the tears that were already in my eyes, doubled as I held him. "You're a good kid, Alex," I murmured. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Momma," he mumbled, pressing his face down into my shoulder. It was clear that he was embarrassed with all the attention that he was getting. Anthony stood up and wrapped himself around my leg. My heart was full.

"Well, I'm thankful for this food," blurted out Emmett. I looked at him from over Alex's shoulder, he was smiling at he watched us. "It looks really good and I'm hungry."

"Of course, you are, Emmett," giggled Rose, picking up her glass of water. "I am thankful that Emmett is here with us this year."

"Me too, Baby," murmured Emmett, leaning over and kissing the side of his wife's head. Esme was smiling as she looked from her oldest son and back over to us.

"I'm thankful for good health and smiles," she said, beaming.

Jasper picked up his glass and looked around as Ivy banged her fists on the tray of her highchair, babbling at all of us. "I think she's with Em and is thankful for the food," snickered Jasper. We all laughed as Jasper turned serious. "I'm thankful our beautiful Ivy." He smiled, taking her tiny hand in his. Jasper looked back at Alice. "Thank you for giving me a daughter."

"Oh, Jas," whispered Alice, standing up and kissing him. "I'm thankful that I have you to share my life and Ivy with."

I wiped away the tears as I held Alex. Alice and Jasper were so sweet, so moving. They settled back at the table and everyone looked over at Charlie, who turned bright red from the attention. Nice not to be the only one who doesn't blush when everyone looks at them. Charlie picked up his beer and stood up, clearing his throat as he looked around at all of us. My father wasn't an emotional man. I'd only seen him vulnerable a few times in my life; when Brody died, when Alex was born, and when he was in the hospital. But today, on Thanksgiving, I saw tears in my father's eyes.

"Today, I'm thankful to have a place to come and be with friends and family," he said, thickly.

He looked right at me and I knew what he was thinking; we were lucky that we had family this years. I nodded my head, silently agreeing with him. Charlie sat back down, taking a swig of his beer. Carlisle stood up and held up his glass.

"I'm thankful for a full house," he smiled, looking around. "For the laughter of children," said Carlisle, looking over at the boys. He shifted his eyes to Esme. "And for love."

Edward stood up as Carlisle sat down. He turned and looked over at me, Alex, and Anthony. Smiling to himself, Edward moving over and picked Anthony up, holding him so that they were facing us. Edward reached out and grabbed my hand, bringing it up to his lips. I could feel the moisture as a tear fell down his face. As Edward looked back up at us, I saw that he had dozens of others waiting to fall.

"Edward," I murmured.

"I remember last thanksgiving, sitting at that table, and thinking that I would make up some reason to be thankful," he whispered, thickly. "Because besides, Anthony, I wasn't happy, Bella."

"Oh, Edward," I cried, knowing just how he felt.

"This year is different," he said, smiling through his tears. "I never thought I would fall in love again, but I did, with you and with Alex."

Alex reached out and placed his hand on top of mine and Edwards. "I love you, too, Daddy," he whispered.

"This year I am thankful for two healthy and happy sons," smiled Edward. "There's only one thing that would make me more thankful than I already am."

"What's that?" I asked. Edward dropped down to one knee. I gasped, as did everyone behind him. "Edward?"

"Will you marry me?" he asked, pulling out a black, velvet box out of his pocket.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Yeah, I left it there, you all shouldn't be too surprised. Part two should be ready soon, I hope ;)**


	37. Chapter 37

EPOV

After Bella and I made love Monday night, I knew that I wanted to ask Bella to marry me and ask her as quickly as I could. We were taking a huge step in our relationship by moving in together but I wanted to do it right. Not just for us but for our sons. That's why as soon as Bella was asleep, I snuck out of bed, grabbed my cell phone and called Charlie, ignoring the fact that it was nearly ten at night.

_The phone rang several times before I heard it fall off the base. I knew it fell because I heard Charlie cursing as the phone hit the floor. _

"_This had better be a goddamned emergency," he grumbled into the phone._

"_Charlie, it's Edward," I said, clearly. My nerves were getting the best of me already._

"_Edward? Is Bella ok? The boys? Talk to me, boy, talk to me!" he demanded._

"_They're all fine," I said. "Sorry to scare you but I need to talk to you."_

"_Ok." Charlie was clearly relieved. "What can I do for you?"_

"_Can you meet me for breakfast in the morning?" I asked. _

"_I guess I can," he said, slowly. "Is there something wrong?"_

"_No, sir. There's something very important that I need to talk to you about."_

"_Important?" he asked. "Ok, I can be there at nine. Should I meet you at Bella's house?"_

"_Actually, I would rather Bella not know about this yet," I explained. "How about you meet me at Clearwater's diner over on 23rd and Henderson?"_

"_Ok, I'll see you in the morning then."_

Now that I had arranged for a meeting with Charlie, the next thing I had to do was leave Bella. That was much harder than I expected. Not because she was clingy but because I wanted to be with her all the time. It's sappy but also very true. I loved that we got to spend our days working together, her on her computer, me going through my multitude of negatives. It was almost perfect. The only time that was better was when we had the boys with us.

_Tuesday morning, I loaded up in my car and headed down to the diner. I was scared to death that Charlie wouldn't give me his blessing. I mean, I thought he liked me, but Bella and I hadn't been together for very long and she would always be his little girl. In my heart, I knew that we were ready. _

_Time felt like it slowed down as I shuffled into the diner and took a seat at a booth in the back. There were a few people sitting at the counter, drinking their coffee and going on with their day. Sue came over and set a cup of coffee down on the table in front of me, smiling as she always did. She had been a good friend to me._

"_Where have you been hiding, young man?" she asked._

"_Just been busy," I smiled. "How's everything going around here?"_

"_Good, good," she chuckled. "You still seeing Bella? I really liked her, and her little boy."_

"_Yep," I said, somehow smiling bigger. _

_Before I could say anything else, the door to the diner opened and Charlie came in. All of the sudden, I didn't feel very confident. He spotted me in the back and came trudging over. I stood up as Sue turned and looked at him, smiling and, if I wasn't mistaken, blushing a little. Charlie shifted his eyes from me to her. Suddenly, I felt very out of place._

"_Charlie, thanks for meeting me," I said, offering him my hand. He shook his head and looked back over at me, placing his hand in mine._

"_Welcome, I suppose," he chuckled, peeking looks over at Sue. She cleared her throat, looking over at me._

"_Ok, sorry. Sue Clearwater, this is Bella's father, Charlie Swan," I said. "Charlie, this is Sue. She and her son, Seth, run this place."_

"_Nice to meet you," nodded Charlie, taking her hand._

"_You, too," murmured Sue. "Would you like some coffee? It's the best coffee in Seattle."_

"_Is that so?" he asked, smiling._

"_Oh, yeah, hot and fresh," smirked Sue._

"_In that case, I would love some," laughed Charlie. _

_Were they flirting? Just the thought of them flirting made me gag. Sue smiled wider as she turned and headed over to the counter. Charlie watched her until it became obvious to him that he was staring at her backside. A mental image that I would never get out of my head. I slid into my side of the booth and he slid into his. He picked up the menu and started looking at it but every few seconds he would look back at Sue, trying not to be obvious but failing miserably. _

"_Here you go, Charlie," smiled Sue, setting a cup of her coffee in front of him. "Do you know what you want?"_

"_You," Charlie blurted out. I choked on my coffee as Sue burst out laughing and Charlie's face turned bright red. "I meant, why don't you surprise me."_

"_I can do that," smirked Sue. She looked over at me. "Usual?"_

"_Yes, please," I murmured, feeling awkward._

"_Coming right up," she said, winking at Charlie. He turned in his seat and watched her walk back to the kitchen._

"_Um, Charlie," I said, clearing my throat. He looked back at me. _

"_Oh, right," he smiled. "What was so important that I had to drive three hours for breakfast?"_

"_Um, well," I started, nervously. "You know that I love Bella, don't you?"_

"_I do," he said, nodding his head._

"_And Alex is my son, maybe not biologically, but in every other way," I continued._

"_Yeah," he said, agreeing with me again._

"_I know that Bella and I haven't been seeing each other very long, but I don't want to waste anymore time without her, Charlie," I murmured, feeling tears build up in my eyes. "I know just how fast life can go by and…She, Alex, and Anthony are everything to me."_

"_Edward, just ask me," smiled Charlie._

"_Will you give me your blessing so that I can ask Bella to marry me?" I asked, wiping a tear from my eye. Charlie smiled and leaned back in his seat._

"_Are you sure you should be asking me?" he asked, folding his arms in front of him._

"_You are her father," I said._

"_I am, but there is another man in her life, whose approval means more than mine will," he said, cocking his eyebrow at me._

"_Alex," I said, understanding._

"_Yes, Alex," he chuckled. "Although, with the way that boy looks at you, I don't think he will be a problem."_

"_I'll talk to him. And to Anthony before I ask her, but I need to know that you approve."_

"_Why?" he asked._

"_Because all of her life, Bella has respected your opinion on her life. I know, that she knows that when I get down on my knee and ask, that I will be doing so with your blessing, Charlie," I explained. "I will never hurt her, I will always love her and Alex."_

"_I know you will," he said, thickly, bringing his hand up and wiping his eyes. "It's never easy for a father to let his little girl go, Edward."_

"_Sir, she won't stop being your little girl just because she's my wife," I said, quietly._

"_No, she won't," he smiled. "You have my blessing, Edward."_

"_Thank you, Charlie," I murmured._

"_You're welcome," he said, seriously, looking back at Sue, who had just started laughing about something one of her other customers said. He looked back at me. "Now, tell me about her."_

Now that I had Charlie's permission, and had told him everything I knew about Sue, I had to talk to the boys. That was going to be much harder than getting Charlie alone. It wasn't until it was time for bed that I managed to get a few minutes alone with them. I told Bella I would get them settled while she did the dishes. She didn't much like that deal and tried to bargain with me by offering me sex, and I nearly caved, but I was running out of time and I really needed to talk to them.

_I got the boys in and out of the bathtub, trying to find the right moment between bubbles and GI Joe to talk to them. I got them into clean pajamas and tucked into bed. I settled onto the side of Alex's bed, trying to think of a way to start this conversation. _

"_Guys, I need you to listen to me for a moment, ok?" I asked._

"_Ok," they both said._

"_This is really important," I added._

"_Dad, just spit it our already," sighed Anthony._

"_Yeah, we ain't getting any younger here," said Alex. I laughed, shaking my head._

"_Ok, sorry." I smiled. "I love you both, very, very much," I said. I brought my hand up and brushed Alex's hair out of his eyes. "And I love your mom very, very much."_

"_I know," he said, quietly. _

"_Because I love you and your mom so much, Alex, I want to ask her to marry me," I said, feeling very vulnerable. Alex's entire face lit up. "Is that ok with you?"_

"_YEAH!" squealed Alex, sitting up and throwing his arms around me. I smiled as I hugged him back. Anthony was laying there, looking shocked. Alex pulled back and looked down at him. "Aren't you excited, Anthony? We'll be real brothers!"_

"_We will?" he asked, looking up at me._

"_You already are," I smiled. Anthony sat up next to Alex._

"_Bella will officially be my mom?" he asked, quietly. "Like for real?"_

"_Yes," I murmured. "Boys, I need to know that you are okay with this before I ask her."_

"_Are you going to buy her a pretty ring?" asked Alex, folding his arms in front of her._

"_Can we help you pick one out?" asked Anthony, eagerly._

"_Of course, you can," I smiled. "I just need to talk to Nana first."_

"_YAY!" they both cheered, falling back onto the bed. I laughed as I pulled the blanket up over them._

"_Ok, but this is our secret. We can't let your mom know. Deal?"_

"_Deal," smiled Anthony, holding up his fist. I bumped his with mine and then offered it to Alex, who tapped his onto mine._

"_Dad, you're going to be a good husband to my mom," said Alex, sincerely._

"_I hope so, Alex," I smiled._

With Charlie and the boys' blessing, all I needed was to talk to my mother. I wasn't worried about her approving of my decision to propose, she would be ready to throw a huge party for us before I even had the five words out of my mouth. No, I needed my mother to help me get Bella's ring. I also wanted to have the boys with me, to approve of the ring. Since the boys had an early release from school on Wednesday, and Bella needed to go to the store and get everything for the pies she offered to make, I decided to take advantage of the situation and take the boys over to my parents house.

_Esme was sitting at the dining room table with their fireproof box in front of her when the boys and I came in. She had a huge smile on her face and a big plate of chocolate chip cookies on the table. Once the boys had hugged her and sat down at the table with their cookies and milk, I settled and looked over at my mother._

"_Well?" I asked._

"_I was able to get it down to Liam this morning, and he got it all cleaned," she said, smiling as she unlocked the box. Inside the metal box, sat a small black, velvet box. Inside the small box held the ring I was hoping to give to Bella. "Take it," urged Esme._

_I slowly reached over and picked up the box, placing it on the table in front of me. Lifting the lid, I looked down at my grandmother's engagement ring. The white gold ring had small diamonds along the side, leading up the princess cut diamond, that was also surrounded by smaller diamonds. _

_My grandfather, Edward, had had the ring made for my grandmother, Elizabeth, and when she died, she willed it to me. Each diamond had been handpicked by him and when he gave it to her, he promised that he would love her forever and always. When I was a little boy, not much older than my own sons, he told me that the moment he first saw her, he knew he was in love with her. _

_When I asked Sarah's father for his blessing, back before he hated me and everything about me, he gave it on the condition that I give her, her grandmother's ring. I agreed, and looking back, I'm glad I did. While I loved Sarah, and a part of me would always love with her, this ring wasn't meant for her. This ring had always been meant for Bella. _

_With tears in my eyes, I looked from the ring in front of me to the boys. Turning the box so they could look at it, I asked, "What do you think? Will your mom like it?" _

_The boys shifted so that they were on their knees and bent over the table to get a closer look. After a moment, Alex looked me right in the eye and said, "She'll love it, because it's from you, Dad."_

"_Yeah, Dad, Mom will love it cause you are giving it to her," agreed Anthony. _

"_Good," I murmured, closing it and pulling it closer to me. I looked up at Esme, who was smiling as she leaned back in her seat. "Thanks, Mom."_

"_You're welcome," she smiled. "When are you going to ask her?"_

"_I don't know," I said, quietly. "When the moment is right, I guess."_

"_You'll know when it's right," she said, taking my hand in hers. "She would be happy that you are moving on, you know. It doesn't mean that you love her any less."_

"_I know," I murmured, nodding my head. _

Ever since I got the ring, I had been looking for the right time, the moment that I should take to propose. As I sat here around the dining room table with our family around us, I knew that time was now. Carlisle sat down and I stood up, moving over and standing in front of Bella, who had Alex in her arms and Anthony hugging her leg.

I picked up my son, thinking back to the moment our lives changed. The moment that our future caught up with us. That morning, when I saw Bella standing outside of my sister's classroom, I never thought that just a few months later, I would be in love with her. Fate works in mysterious ways sometimes.

I reached out and took Bella's hand in mine, bringing it up to my lips as the tears built up in my eyes. This was the moment, the moment I had been waiting on. "Edward," murmured Bella, quietly.

"I remember last thanksgiving, sitting at that table, and thinking that I would make up some reason to be thankful," I whispered, thickly, feeling very emotional right now. "Because besides, Anthony, I wasn't happy, Bella."

"Oh, Edward." Bella had tears in her eyes; she knew just how I was feeling.

"This year is different," I said, smiling. "I never thought I would fall in love again, but I did, with you and with Alex."

Alex reached out and placed his hand on top of ours, showing that we were a family now. "I love you, too, Daddy," he whispered.

"This year I am thankful for two healthy and happy sons," I smiled. Oddly enough, I wasn't nervous. I was with Bella and I felt calm, at peace, loved. "There's only one thing that would make me more thankful than I already am."

"What's that?" Bella asked. I dropped down to one knee, having Anthony stand next to me. Alex smiled as Bella gasped, along with the rest of our family. "Edward?"

"Will you marry me?" I asked, pulling the small, black, velvet box out of my pocket. Bella set Alex down as she looked from my eyes to the box in my hands and back up to my eyes.

"Last year, Alex and I had Thanksgiving dinner at my house, with my dad. I was lonely, too, Edward," she cried, bringing her hand up to her lips. "The only family I had was my father and my son. This year, I've gained a son, two sisters, two brothers, the mother I never had, and another father."

"Momma," whimpered Alex. Bella dropped down to her knees in front of me, pulling our boys in her arms.

"I'm thankful for the children we share," she whispered, letting her tears fall. "I'm thankful for the love that you give me, that you showed me was okay to let myself feel again." Bella smiled as she reached around Anthony and wiped her tears off. "There's only one thing let that would make me even more thankful."

"What's that?" I asked.

"If you would put that ring on my finger," she smiled.

"Is that a yes?" I asked, grinning widely.

"Yes," she laughed, throwing her arms around me. She leaned her forehead against mine. "Yes."

"I love you," I murmured, leaning in and kissing her.

"I love you, too," she whispered.

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews. I was so blown away by them all, that I decided to give you another chapter much quicker than I had planned. You don't know how close I came to marking this sucker complete and starting the sequel. While I am not saying there won't be one, I'm going to do some more on this one before we get there, if we do go there. Anyway, thank you all again for all the reviews. I heart you all so hard!**

**If you want to see a picture of Bella's ring, the link can be found in my profile or on my FB page, ButterflyBetty Cullen.**


	38. Chapter 38

**BPOV**

It wasn't until I heard the sniffling around me that I remembered that Edward and I were kneeling on the floor of his parents' kitchen; arms wrapped around each other and our sons, foreheads pressed against together, and completely absorbed in the love we shared for each other and our children. Reaching up, I wiped the tears off my face and looked around, blushing from all the attention.

"Sorry," I murmured, softly as I stood up. "I just need a minute."

Leaving Edward with the boys, I walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway to the bathroom. I closed the door and splashed some cold water on my face, trying to regain my senses. It was all just too much to take in. Edward had asked me to marry him and I had accepted. The feelings that were welling up inside of me were so overwhelming. It had been a long time since I had felt this happy. Even though we hadn't been together for very long, I knew that Edward and I, along with our boys, were ready for this. We were ready to officially be a real family.

"Bella," called Edward, knocking on the door. "Love, are you ok?"

"I'm fine," I replied, voice cracking.

"Open the door," he said, urgently. "Please."

I reached over and opened the door, smiling shyly at him. Edward stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. "Baby, are you sure you are ok?" he asked, bringing his hand up to my cheek. I covered his hand with mine. "You're shaking."

"I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed," I whispered. My eyes fluttered to a close, stopping the tears from falling. "I just… I'm so happy, Edward." My emotions were getting the better of me and I started weeping softly. Edward slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me into his arms. "For years, I shut myself off. Not letting anyone get too close to me or Alex. Just the idea of losing him, too." I wept harder. "I wasn't ready to fall in love with you, Edward, but I did."

"I wasn't ready either," murmured Edward, pressing his lips down onto my head. "At least I didn't think so. I was scared of opening my heart but the moment I saw you, I was drawn to you. You made me smile, really smile for the first time in so long."

"I love you so much," I whispered, looking up at him. "You, me, Alex, and Anthony…We're a family."

"I love you, too," he said, leaning down and kissing me. "And our family."

After a few more minutes, I had finally collected myself enough that Edward and I could head back into the kitchen. Everyone was sitting at the table, talking quietly amongst themselves. As Edward and I came in, arms wrapped around each other, they all smiled. I, of course, blushed.

"Are you ok, Sweetheart?" asked Esme, coming over and elbowing Edward out of the way.

I laughed as he scowled. "I'm fine," I giggled. "Just needed a moment."

"Good, good," she said, hurriedly. "Charlie was eyeing the cake and I told him we weren't going to get into it until after lunch. And we certainly weren't going to start eating until you and Edward came back. He's been pouting."

"Have not," muttered Charlie.

"Yes, you have, Grandpa," laughed Alex. "You said that just because Momma was being emotional was no reason to put off eating."

I cocked an eyebrow over at my father. "Is that true, Dad?" I asked.

"Yes," he admitted. "But I'm hungry and Esme is holding my cake hostage."

"Oh, Daddy," I laughed, moving around the table and hugging him. "You can have your cake as soon as you eat your veggies."

Charlie groaned, falling back into his seat. We all laughed with him. I took my seat next to Edward, smiling as I looked around at our family. The not-so-little diamond ring on my finger was my reminder that I wasn't just marrying Edward, but all of them. Charlie, Alex, and I were finally going to have the family we had always wanted. Edward took my left hand in his, playing with the ring on my ring finger as he leaned in and kissed my cheek. Esme let out a soft "aw" and I blushed, picking up my fork and started eating.

"Esme, this is really good," moaned Charlie, taking a big bite of his dressing.

"Thank you, Charlie," smiled Esme. "Remember that when you and the rest of the boys are doing the dishes."

"Can I help, Nana?" asked Alex, eagerly. Esme turned in her seat and looked down at him.

"Are you one of my boys?" she asked. My heart swelled as Esme claimed him as hers.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, proudly.

"Then you get to help." Alex started cheering, causing the rest of us to laugh.

"I have so much to teach that boy," sighed Edward. I cocked an eyebrow as I looked over at him.

"As long as it's not cooking, right?" I asked.

"Funny, Bella, so funny," he said, pretending to scowl but he couldn't fool me. I saw the smile in his eyes.

"Oh, yeah, Bella's going to fit in here alright," laughed Emmett, reaching behind Rose and offering my his fist. I smiled as I lightly bumped his with mine.

By the time lunch was over, I was stuffed. Ivy had started fussing from her place in her high chair so Jasper picked her up. She turned in his arms and reached out for me, whimpering. I smiled as I walked around the table and took her from her father, blocking out his protests that he had her. As soon as that sweet, little angel was in my arms, she stopped fussing. Since the boys, Elliott included, were done, I grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch and took all three of them outside, letting them play while I sat on the porch swing with Ivy, who had fallen asleep.

After a little while, Elliott came over and sat down next to me. For a few minutes, we just watched Alex and Anthony playing, chasing each other through the piles of leaves in the yard. It was such a relief to see Alex out running around and playing again. His recovery had been smooth but it had taken him a bit to get his energy back.

"Bella, can I ask you something?" I looked down at Elliott, who shifted nervously on the swing. He looked so much like his father.

"Of course, you can, Sweetheart," I said, trying not to wake Ivy up.

"You are marrying my Uncle Edward, right?" he asked, looking up at me.

"I am," I smiled.

"Will that make you my Aunt Bella?" he asked. There was hope behind each word. I reached over, placing my hand on his cheek.

"I already am your aunt," I said, quietly. "I love you very much, Elliott."

"I love you, too, Aunt Bella," he said, grinning widely. He looked back at the boys. "I'm going to go play with them again."

"Ok," I murmured. Elliott stood up and looked back at me. Being as careful as he could, he leaned in and kissed my cheek. Before I could say anything, he took off down the steps.

"If only I had my camera." I looked over and saw Rose, leaning against the doorframe. "He tells me he's too big of a man to kiss me anymore."

"Oh," I said, quietly.

"I think he has a crush on you," laughed Rose, moving over and sitting in one of the chairs next to me. "I think all the Cullen men do."

"Only Edward," I said, blushing.

"Only Edward is in love with you, Bella, but they all care about you." Rose leaned back in her seat. "Last year, Edward and I ended up sneaking away and hiding out back for most of the day." I must of looked shocked. "Just as in-laws, of course." she added. "Brother and sister."

"Why?" I asked. Rose looked over at the boys.

"Because that would be gross." Rose shuddered. "Edward is like the pesky little brother I never had but always kind of wanted."

"No, I meant why did you and Edward hide out all day?" I asked, smiling at her.

"Emmett was gone," she said, quietly. "He was overseas. We hadn't seen him for nine months and I…I missed him so much, Bella. Edward understood. He was comfort to me."

"That must have been hard," I murmured. Rose smiled as she looked over at me.

"It was," she admitted. "But it's not like raising a child for five years on my own."

"You can't keep doing that," I muttered.

"Doing what?" she asked.

"Making it seem like just because I had to raise Alex on my own that your own hardships mean nothing," I explained. "Rose, you missed Emmett when he was gone. Elliott missed his father. That doesn't take a backseat to what me or Edward dealt with."

"You sound like him." Rose shook her head. "Edward told me the same thing, but I didn't listen to him."

I smiled. "He's a pretty smart guy."

"He is," she said, looking at me. "He found you, didn't he?"

Before I could say anything else, Rose yelled for the boys to go in and help with the dishes. All three of them cheered as they came running up onto the porch and into the house. I stood up and followed them inside. I carried Ivy into one of the guest rooms and laid her down inside the playpen that had been set up. She sighed in her sleep, reminding me of when Alex was little. He used to make the sweetest noises when he slept. I would hold him for hours, just so I could listen to him.

I left the door partially open as I made my way back down the hallway. However, I stopped halfway down and started looking at all the pictures on Esme's wall. They were of Emmett, Alice, and Edward when they were kids. Pictures of them swimming, racing pinewood derby cars, Alice in her girl scouts uniform, them all playing soccer, and so many more. I reached up and pulled one off, memorizing the details. In the picture, Edward and Emmett were sitting on the porch with Alice in between them.

"That was taken at their grandparent's house." I looked over and saw Carlisle, watching me. He came over and took the picture out of my hands. "Emmett was maybe seven, eight. Edward would have been six or so, and Alice was four. Esme and I had taken off for two weeks thinking it would be fun to load the kids up into the back of the car and take a road trip down to Texas to see my parents." Carlisle laughed as he looked over at me. "It was miserable for at least the first day of the trip. They got tired of being in the car after about an hour and they started fighting. I threatened to pull the car over at least a hundred times.

"We pulled up into my parents place just after midnight," said Carlisle continuing on with the story. "My mom and dad came rushing out of the house. They were so excited that we drove all the way down from Seattle. My mother, Caroline, was the tiniest woman, barely weighing a hundred pounds, but she lifted Alice out of the car and carried her inside. My father, Clovis, carried Emmett in. That left me to get Edward. When I picked him up, he wrapped his arms and legs around me, pulling back just enough to ask if we were there yet." As Carlisle spoke, his smile grew. "I assured him that we were. He mumbled okay and laid his head on my shoulder. I carried him into the house and laid him down in the bed next to his brother and sister. They were perfect."

"Because we were asleep," said Edward. I looked past Carlisle, finding my new fiancé leaning against the wall. "I don't remember much from that trip but I do remember Grandpa taking us down to the pond and letting us skip rocks."

Carlisle smiled and put the picture back on the wall. "He loved you," commented Carlisle. "He would have loved your boys, too."

As Carlisle walked by Edward, he reached out and squeezed his son's shoulder, silently telling me so much more than words ever would. Edward shifted his eyes back over to me and I blushed, feeling the intensity flowing off of him. My heart was racing and that was just with him looking at me. I couldn't even begin to imagine how fast it would go with him touching me. I blushed deeper, causing Edward to smile wider.

"I've missed you." It was a simple statement.

"I've been right here." It was the truth.

"No, you've been everywhere but right here," he said, stepping toward me. My breathing increased. "If you would have been right here, I would have seen you."

"You did." I smiled. "When nobody else did, Edward, you saw me."

"Everyone saw you, Bella," said Edward, taking another step toward me. "You just didn't notice until it was me."

"Nobody else mattered."

Edward closed the distance between us, bringing his hands up to my face. Slowly, too slowly, he leaned down, capturing my lips with his own. He pressed me back, pushing me into the wall behind me. A picture slipped off the wall, crashing to the floor. Edward pulled back, looking from me to the picture and burst out laughing. A carefree laugh. A beautiful laugh.

"Oops," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, oops," I giggled, feeling like a fifteen year old girl. I picked the picture up, hanging it back onto the wall. "Guess we got a little carried away."

"Suppose so," he muttered, leaning down and kissing me again. "I can't help it, though. I love the feeling of your lips on mine."

"Hmm," I hummed, in agreement. "As do I, Baby, as do I."

"I want to feel your body under mine," he murmured, bringing his hands up to my hips, pulling me flush with his body. Edward lowered his lips down, suckling on the side of my neck.

"Edward," I moaned, quietly. I could feel him, all of him, and I wanted him.

"You drive me fucking insane," he whispered.

"You…me…insane…too."

I wasn't making sense, but my mind was completely boggled when Edward touched me like this. It wasn't until we heard Ivy start crying that we both seemed to remember that we weren't in either of our houses but in his parents house, just down the hallway from where our niece was napping.

"Oh, damn." I snapped my eyes over and saw Alice standing at the end of the hallway, hands over her mouth as she tried to stifle her squealing. It was also then that I realized that Edward had me back up against the wall and that my leg had been lifted up over his hip. I pulled my leg down, blushing fire engine red. "Um, I was just…. I mean, Ivy woke up…" Alice trailed off.

Instead of saying anything else, Alice walked past us and into the guest room. She came back out a moment later with Ivy, tucked into her arms. Smiling at the two of us, she walked to the end of the hallway, stopping and looking back at us. "Carry on," she giggled.

My face was redder than it ever had been. Edward muttered something about never going to live this down and getting her back but Alice laughed and walked back into the other part of the house. Edward shook his head, looking down at me and smiling.

"Guess, we should go in there, huh?" he asked.

"I suppose," I murmured, leaning up on my toes and kissing him. "We can continue this tonight."

As I squeezed out from between him and the wall, I let my hand graze his cock, which was bulging through his jeans. Edward hissed, calling me a tease. I laughed, because in the moment I was one. Edward grabbed my hips as we made our way into the living room, finding everyone sitting around.

The moment we walked in, Alice started giggling, which of course, drew the attention of everyone else. Charlie grimaced, liked we had just come out naked and were fucking in front of him. Silly old man, really needed to find a woman of his own. Everyone else was smiling, beaming almost.

"So I was thinking," said Esme, jumping to her feet and scurrying over to us. "Wouldn't it be fun if Alex and Anthony stayed here with us tonight?" she asked. "Ivy and Elliott are and we could have a little camp out here in the living room."

"Oh, Mommy, please, can we stay?" begged Alex, bouncing on his tush. However, I was hesitant. The last time I had left my son for the night, he ended up in the hospital, having major surgery. Edward leaned down to my ear.

"We'd be a phone call away," he whispered. "Just a phone call."

"Please, Mommy," begged Alex and Anthony, jutting out their bottom lips. I snorted. Those two and their pouting. I looked over at Esme, who had taken a cue from them and was pouting. Looking over at Carlisle, I saw him pouting, as well.

"Oh, you guys are so pathetic!" I exclaimed. "Fine, but stop pouting!"

"YAY!" cheered the boys, falling back onto the couch.

"Told you it would work, Nana," laughed Alex.

"You won't regret this, Bella," smiled Esme, taking my hands. She started pulling me toward the door, clearly it was time for us to go. "You two need some time alone, we get that."

"Um, ok, thanks," I muttered, blushing yet again. It was starting to get awkward in here again.

"Don't worry about anything, we have it all under control," she said, shoving mine and Edward's coats at us. "Just…don't worry about anything."

Before we could say anything else, Esme pushed the two of us out of the house, and locked the door behind us. I looked up at Edward, shocked by what had just happened. He looked equally as shocked.

"Kicked out by my own mother," he scoffed.

"Betrayed by our children," I added. Edward smiled and looked down at me.

"Given a night off, just me and you and whatever wall I can find," he said, smirking as he gave me a once over.

I bit my lip as I turned and headed toward the car, making sure to sashay my hips with each step. "What are we waiting for then?"

**I know, how could I leave it there? I'm so cruel, some might even say…evil ;) Thank you for all the reviews. The next chapter will have a lot of B/E alone time, if you catch my drift.**


	39. Chapter 39

**EPOV**

"Oh, Jesus fucking Christ, Edward," panted Bella, rolling onto the bed next to me. "I think you are trying to kill me."

"Not kill you, Baby," I smirked, rolling onto my side, slipping my hand over onto her bare, sweaty skin. "Just trying to get as much of you as I can. We don't get many nights off without the boys"

"I am, too, but I need some food, if we are going to keep going," she laughed, sitting up on the side of the bed. She reached down, pulling on my shirt from the floor and slipping it over her arms, buttoning just a couple of the buttons. Looking back at me, she said, "I'll be right back."

"Hurry," I growled, reaching for her.

Bella squealed as she scrambled off the bed and out of my bedroom. I laughed as I climbed out of bed, making my way into the bathroom. Turning the water on in the shower, I stepped in and let the water wash over me. Bella and I were on a mission to make the most out of our childfree evening, and trust me, we had.

_I had barely gotten Bella into the house when I pushed her against the door, crushing my lips down onto hers and ripping her pants open. Bella let out a throaty moan as I slipped my fingers inside her panties, letting them brush across her slit. She was wet, dripping with need._

_Pulling my lips from hers, I tore her shirt down the middle and pulled her bra down, letting her breasts free. Wrapping my lips around her nipple, I pushed my finger into her._

"_OH, FUCK!" she cried, gripping my hair in her hands. I loved the feeling of my hair in her hands. _

_As I pumped my finger in and out of her, I used my other hand to pull her pants and panties completely off, tossing them somewhere behind us. Dropping down to my knee, I pulled her leg up on my shoulder, replacing my finger with my tongue, delving as far into her as I could. Bella released my hair, slamming her hand on the door, while grinding her hips down onto me. My fingers dug into her skin as I gripped her tighter, needing to pull her closer._

_I slipped two fingers into her, curving them up against her walls. Moving my lips to her clit, I played with it, feeling her withering above me. My cock was hard, throbbing, aching with need to be buried deep inside of her. Pumping my fingers in and out of her, I stood up, fumbling with my belt with my free hand. Bella yanked my hand off my pants, ripping my belt off and undoing my jeans. Pushing my pants and boxers down, she gripped me tightly in her hand, stroking me up and down. _

"_Oh, sweet mother of all that is good and holy," I moaned, leaning my forehead down on her shoulder. "Your hand…just so…fucking good."_

"_I'm so close, Baby." Bella pushed herself down onto my hand, rubbing her clit on the palm of my hand. Her walls quavered, squeezing my fingers._

"_Let go," I ordered, turning toward her ear. "For me. Let go."_

_Bella clenched down on me, burying her face in my neck as she squeezed my cock. I pulled her hand off of me, whimpering at the loss. Gripping her around the waist, I lifted her up, pressing her against the wall. Bella locked her ankles around my waist, lining me up under her. Capturing her lips once again, I thrust into her, filling her to the brink. _

_Gasping against my lips, Bella's hands traveled straight to me hair, yanking my head back. Pleasurable pain shot through me. I slid one of my hands up, gripping her arm and pinning it to the door behind her. Bella smiled as she brought her other hand up, letting me hold her up completely. She kept her eyes locked on mine as I pounded into her, pushing my cock into her deeper, harder with each thrust of my hips. As Bella pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth, I couldn't hold my back release, pushing back into her as I let go. My release spurred hers, causing her to cry out once again._

"Did you drown?" asked Bella, slipping into the shower behind me.

"No," I chuckled, turning and facing her. The water drizzled down on her, making her even more beautiful. "Did you get food?"

"Yes," she said, smiling. "Now hurry, cause I'm really hungry and I don't mean for food."

Growling, I turned and shut off the water. Bella giggled, grabbing a towel and wrapping around herself as she ran out of the bathroom. I followed, and found a huge spread of fruits, cheese, and crackers on the bed, along with two bottles of water. Bella dropped her towel and climbed onto the bed, giving me a seductive look. I tossed my towel on the floor and climbed up next to her.

"This looks good," I murmured, picking up a grape and rubbing it along her lips. She smiled, slowly opening her lips for me. As I pushed it in, her lips wrapped around my fingers, going straight to my cock. "Bella," I moaned, reaching for her.

"Food first," she giggled, chewing the grape. She reached over and picked up an apple slice, offering it to me. "Bite?"

I didn't respond as I leaned forward, taking it into my mouth. Bella wet her lips, taking a deep breath. "It's good."

Bella and I continued to feed each other, letting our lips linger but not speaking. Our eyes never left each other's, telling each other with looks and gestures what we couldn't quite express with words. Saying what we had already said a dozen times today; that all we needed was each other and our children who brought us together. The boys who pushed us to let go and find love, to finally find each other. I moved the empty dishes to the floor, and laid on the bed next to Bella, reaching over and taking her hand, the hand that had my ring on it.

"Why did you say yes?" I asked. She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Did you expect me to say no?" she countered.

"No," I admitted, "but why did you say yes to me when I asked you on that date?"

"The date," murmured Bella, weaving her fingers in with mine. "Because I liked you."

"Why?" I needed to know why she took a chance on me when she could have had anyone she wanted.

Bringing her hand up to my face, she said, "Baby, you wanted to be my friend before you became my lover. You were Alex's friend before you became his daddy. You didn't push for details about my life, but let me share with you when I was comfortable. You make me smile and laugh. You make me happy, and I love you."

Pushing me onto my back, Bella climbed over and straddled my hips, rubbing her bare core against my already hard cock. "Bella," I groaned, closing my eyes.

"Look at me," she ordered. Snapping my eyes open, I watched as she leaned up on her knees, gripping my manhood in her hand. Lining herself up to me, she slowly sank down on me.

"Fuck," I muttered, moving my hands to her hips. Bella covered my hands with hers as she lifted up, slipping all but the tip of my cock out of her. Keeping her eyes locked on mine, she slammed back down. "OH, FUCKITY FUCK!"

"You have a potty mouth," she tittered, finding a quick and steady pace. Sliding her hands off of mine, she brought them up to her perfect breasts, cupping them and tweaking her nipples between her fingers. "You feel so good inside of me."

"Baby, you have no idea," I groaned, feeling her hug me each time she came down on me. Propping myself up on my elbow, I watched as my cock worked in and out of her. Simply amazing. "Your pussy was made for me. Just for me."

"Just for you," she breathed, keeping one hand on her breast and moving the other down to her clit.

Her fingers grazed me as she rubbed furiously, trying to get some relief. Taking her hand in mine, I used both of our fingers, pressing down just where she needed to be touched. Bella's lips parted and her head fell back, gasping as she came hard. I leaned up, pushing her back on the bed, driving into her as hard and fast as I could without hurting her. Griping the bars on the headboard, I thrust into her, feeling the burn as my orgasm built inside of me.

"Now, Edward," said Bella, holding my body down on hers. "Let go, Baby."

Shivering from her gentle touch, I stilled my hips, letting my orgasm wash over me once again. My arms gave out on me and I laid on her. Bella didn't seem to mind as she wrapped her arms around me, bringing her fingers up to my hair. For several minutes, we laid together, still connected and enjoying each other.

"Why did you ask me?" asked Bella.

Rolling off of her, I laid on the bed next to her, considering her question. Bella moved to her side, laying her head on my shoulder. "You didn't flirt with me," I finally said.

"What?"

Facing her, I smiled. "You didn't flirt with me," I repeated. "You weren't like the other single moms who saw me as…fresh meat, I guess. You didn't flaunt yourself in front of me. You took my son into your arms and told him that you were proud of him. You…" I trailed off as tears filled my eyes. Bella brought her hand up to my face, wiping them away. "You loved Anthony and treated him like he was yours, even before you really were his mom."

"Oh, Edward," whispered Bella. "He will always be mine."

"He will," I agreed. "Just like Alex will always be my son."

Bella and I drifted off into a peaceful silence, just listening to each other breathing. The house was quiet without the boys, even though they would have been asleep by now anyway. It was still noticeable. Bella rolled in my arms, pressing her back to my front and weaving her fingers with mine. She brought both of our hands up, bringing them to rest between her breasts. If she hadn't been placing soft kisses on my fingers, I would have thought she had fallen asleep.

"What's it like?" she asked, quietly.

"What is what like?"

"What is it like to be married?" she whispered, emotion dripping off each word. "I never got to find out."

"You will," I promised.

"I know," she said, kissing my fingers again. "But what is it like?"

"It's great," I murmured, kissing her shoulder. "Like it is now with you, only we'll be legally married."

"Did you have a big wedding?" she asked.

I nodded against her shoulder. "Sarah wanted a big one."

"Brody did, too," whispered Bella. "He said I deserved to have the biggest, best wedding in Forks' history." Bella paused. "I didn't want it, though. I spent months trying to make sure everything was perfect but I would have just been content to go to the courthouse and get it over with."

"We are not doing that," I chuckled. "My mother would kill me. Alice would bring me back to life, and then kill me again."

Bella giggled. "I could see them doing that. I just don't want a huge wedding."

"Then we won't have one," I said, sliding my hand down to her hip. "Baby, I will give you what ever you want as long as you say I do."

"I do," she whispered.

"Say it again," I murmured, sliding my hand down between her legs. She moved, letting my fingers touch her.

"I do," she gasped.

Sliding my finger into her, I kissed her neck. "Again."

"I do," she cried, gripping my hair in her hands. "I DO!"

My dick was hard and ready to be in her again. Pulling my finger out, I gripped her leg, lifting it over mine and sliding into her. Bella's grip on my hair tightened and I had to stop moving, as I nearly let go and came like a fifteen year old boy. Having regained a small sense of control, I slipped out of her, just to push back in. Fuck, she felt so fucking good.

Slipping my arm under her, I rolled us so that Bella was under me, back still pressed against mine. Without saying a word, she pulled her legs up, pushing herself onto my cock even more. My eyes rolled back as I hit a new angle in her, deeper somehow. I moved one hand up to her hips, gripping her as I thrust into her and the other to the headboard, giving more leverage.

"Say…it…again," I grunted, thrusting with each word.

"I…do," she gasped, moving her hand up, placing it on mine. "I FUCKING DO!"

Bella slipped her other hand down, letting her fingers find her clit and began playing with herself. The tips of her fingers, grazing me as I took her with wild abandonment. My orgasm was fast approaching, and I needed her to come before me. Sliding my hand up, I grabbed her hair, wrapping my hand around it and pulling back.

"OH FUCK!" she screamed, digging her nails into the back of my hand. For a moment, I was afraid that I had hurt her, but then she truly shocked me when she said, "Harder. Pull my hair harder."

Without thinking twice, I pulled a little harder, slamming my hips into hers again and again. After a dozen more thrusts, Bella clenched down on me, squeezing my cock inside of her. I thrust once more, stilling my hips as I came harder than I ever had. Truly spent, I released her hair and fell onto the bed, trying to catch my breath. Bella dropped down next to me, oddly quiet. I looked over at her and found her staring at me with wide eyes.

Before I could say anything, she spoke. "I'm not a freak."

"Excuse me?" I asked, cocking an eye at her. "I know you're not."

"You pulled my hair," she muttered. "I…well, I kind of liked it."

"I could tell," I smiled. Bella blushed, turning her face into the pillow. "I liked it, too."

"You did?" she asked, peeking out at me.

"Oh, yeah, Baby," I laughed. "Especially when you clawed my hand. It was hot."

"Good to know," she said, smirking.

Snuggling into my arms, Bella rested her head on my chest, yawning. I turned and kissed her head. "Goodnight, love," I murmured. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she mumbled, already drifting to sleep. "More than you love me."

"Not possible," I disagreed.

"Is so."

I laughed softly as I held her. Outside the sun was slowly beginning to rise, an orange glow pouring into my bedroom. I tightened my arm around her, thankful that she was with me this Thanksgiving. Thankful that one day soon, she would be my wife.

**Thank you for all the reviews. Did this chapter make up for leaving you like I did in the last?**


	40. Chapter 40

**BPOV  
**

"There is no way I am going to get all of this shit packed," I grumbled, wading through the half packed boxes that filled my living room and dining room as I tried to find my kitchen.

"We will get everything packed and moved, and then everything will be perfect," replied Edward, slipping his arms around my waist, halting my movement. Bringing his lips down onto the side of my neck, he smiled, lips curving upwards. "Then all we will have left is the wedding."

"Stop kissing," whined Alex, pushing his way past us. "My little eyes can't handle it."

"Or our stomachs," muttered Anthony.

Edward and I both laughed, following our sons into the kitchen. Today was December twentieth and we were finally going to get moved into our new house, hopefully. Marcus and Didyme had officially moved out last week but had literally begged us to wait a week before we started our move. They wouldn't tell us why, just that they had a surprise for all of us and that they needed a few extra days. Of course, they pouted. I had a feeling my two little knuckle heads had something to do that.

I quickly made them each some pancakes and eggs before starting on all the dishes that were still stuffed inside the cabinet. There were just some things that you couldn't pack until the last minute and considering that Edward and Anthony had been living here for the last two weeks, we needed a lot of dishes. Once Edward and I put the official offers on our new house, we were able to start considering offers on our own two houses.

Four days after Thanksgiving, Edward was approached by a man who offered to buy his house, with cash, for the full asking price, plus the cost of expenses, but only if Edward could be out in a week. At first, we were skeptical, because who goes around offering a hundred and fifty plus thousand dollars for his house all in cash, but it turned out that the man's daughter moved back to the area with her three kids. They were driving him insane, so he decided that it was time for them to get the fuck out of his house, but he wanted them to stay in Seattle. His daughter fell in love with Edward's house so daddy bought it for her. Of course, it helped that he was one of the richest men in the country. After talking about it for all of five minutes, Edward and I agreed. A week later, all of his and Anthony's belongings had either been donated or were boxed up in a storage building, and the two of them were living with me and Alex. I loved every minute of it.

"How much longer until we leave?" asked Alex.

"Ten minutes or so," said Edward, turning from the pantry, where he was boxing up our food. "If you are done, go check your room one more time and make sure you are not forgetting anything."

"Ok, Dad," groaned Anthony, bringing his plate over and setting it in the sink.

"Under your beds, in the closet, everywhere," I added.

"We've already checked a million times," grumbled Alex.

"Then make it a million and one," I quipped.

Both boys whined as they stomped out of the kitchen and up the stairs to their bedroom. I knew this wasn't any fun for them, it wasn't for us, either, but we were on a deadline. We closed on the sale of my house this yesterday, and today, I had a huge meeting with Aro Volturi and Tanya, that could not be rescheduled. Trust me, I tried, but you just don't reschedule with the biggest name in publishing, not if you want to have your name connected with his and I did. So that left Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Ben, and Garrett to get everything out of the house while the boys stayed with Rose and Elliott, and Esme and Alice were at our new house, making sure nobody broke anything and everything went ok.

"Baby, you had better go," said Edward, pulling the plate out of my hand and laying it on top of the dozen others I had wrapped and placed inside of the box.

"Are you sure you can handle all of this?" I asked, feeling guilty for leaving him high and dry. We wanted to wait till tomorrow to move but the new owners of my house needed to be out of their apartment by the end of the day.

"I've got everything under control," he said, smiling. "Just hurry home."

"Home," I murmured, leaning in and pressing my lips down onto his. "Can't wait to be home."

I managed to get one more kiss in before the boys were back, grumbling about us kissing all the time, and swearing that they checked every inch of their bedroom. After a quick hug and kiss from both of them, I grabbed my messenger bag and weaved my way through the maze to the front door. Taking one last look at the house that had once been mine and Alex's home, I started my car and headed downtown for my meeting.

My nerves were on fire, though. I had never met Aro Volturi and from what Tanya told me, it was highly unusual for him to request a meeting with one of his authors. She assured me that this a good sign and not a bad one, but I wasn't nearly as optimistic as her. I had taken a huge risk when I decided not to write the same erotica that I had been writing for years and I hoped that it would pay off. Parking my car in the undercover parking garage, I took a deep breath and headed inside.

Aro Volturi's office was located on the top floor of the fifty-seven story building. As the elevator rose, my nerves grew. My body shook and I could feel every small ounce of courage leaving me. I jumped when the doors finally opened, showing Tanya leaning against the wall. She started to smile but stopped just seconds before she started squealing.

"Oh my god, oh my god, of my god." Bouncing up and down, she grabbed my left hand, bringing my engagement ring right up to her eye and nearly pulling my arm out of the socket.

"Damn it, Tanya," I muttered, ripping my hand out of hers and rotating my arm around. "My arm is actually attached to my body."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she said, offhandedly, grabbing my hand and pulling it back up. However, she was much gentler this time. "It's simply gorgeous."

I smiled. "Thank you."

Tanya lowered our hands but didn't let go. Looking up at me, she smiled and said, "I am so happy for you, Isabella. You and Alex deserve Edward and Anthony. Maybe one day, I'll get to meet them for myself."

"Oh, Tanya, I can't subject them to you," I snickered.

"Haha, so funny," she laughed, hooking her arm in with mine. "Seriously, it's nice to see you so happy."

"It's nice to be happy," I murmured.

"Oh, I can tell," she smiled. "Now, take a deep breath and relax."

"I'm trying," I said, weakly following her order. "I'm just so nervous."

"I know you are, but if I didn't believe that Aro wanting to meet you wasn't a good thing, I would be doing everything I could to get you out of it, Honey."

"Ok, let's get this over with," I chuckled, humorlessly.

Tanya kept her arm wrapped around mine as we made our way down the long hallway to Aro Volturi's office. She smiled and nodded at the woman sitting just outside, whose eyes shifted to me like I was royalty. Picking up the phone on her desk, she buzzed Aro, telling him we were here. Less than two second later, he responded, telling her to send us in. Yes, I counted the seconds.

My breathing was thick, ragged as Tanya reached out and opened the door to his office, nearly having to pull me behind. Aro Volturi, a tall, thin man with well kept dark hair and sharp blue eyes, stood up from behind his desk as the two of us came into his office, smiling warmly at both of us but I noticed his eyes flickering over to me quite often.

"Tanya, my dear, you look splendid," gushed Aro, coming around his desk and taking her hand. Slowly, he brought it up to his lips, placing a debonair kiss.

"You're too kind, Aro," said Tanya, looking back at me. "She's the one you need to be flattering, not me."

I blushed, causing Aro to smile even bigger. "Well, introduce me, already," he teased.

"Aro Volturi, meet Isabella Swan," smirked Tanya. "Or you might know her as Mallory Marie."

I mentally wanted to slap myself for picking such a lame ass pen-name. I sounded like a fucking porn star.

"I never really thought of it as a porn star name at all, Isabella," laughed Aro. My eyes bugged out of my head and my mouth fell open. "By the look of shock and fear on your face, I am going to take it you didn't realize that you said that out loud."

"Shit, I mean, fuck." I slapped my hand over my mouth, trying to stop the four letter words from dribbling out between my lips. I was a goddamn moron. "Mr. Volturi-"

"Aro, my dear. You must call me Aro," he said, placing his hand up.

"Aro, I am so sorry for everything that I have said since I walked into your office. I really have no excuse at all except that I am not very bright."

"Don't be sorry, Isabella," he laughed, heartily. "Personally, I find it refreshing that you speak your mind so freely."

I laughed feebly. "Oh, well, thanks, I guess."

"Now, let's sit down and get this meeting started, shall we, Ladies?" he asked, already walking around his desk.

Tanya and I settled on the black leather chairs that sat in front of Aro's large, incredibly cluttered desk. The neat freak in me wanted to straighten everything up for him and make it easier for him to deal with, but I didn't. I was already coming off as quite the freak as it was, and that certainly would make me seem any less insane.

"Isabella, dear, you look like you are about to rip the arms off my chair and beat me over the head with them," chuckled Aro, leaning up onto his elbows. "Please relax."

"I'm trying, Aro, but you have to understand I have a lot riding on this moment," I replied, honestly. From the corner of my eye, I saw Tanya smile.

"Yes, you do," he murmured, leaning back. He reached into the top drawer in his desk and pulled out a manuscript, tossing it carelessly on his desk. "What I would like to know is why it took you years to stop writing that crap? You were wasting both of our time on that when you should have been writing this instead."

"Excuse me?" I asked, shortly. "Did you just call the dozen books I have written for you crap?"

"Yes," he said, plainly. "Because compared to this," placing his hand on top of my manuscript, "all of them are pure shit."

"What?" I snapped, standing up. "That shit was good enough for you to publish."

"Isa-"

"It was," admitted Aro, nodding his head and interrupting Tanya. "But this is golden." Aro gestured back to my seat. "Please sit, and let me explain."

I sat down, crossing my legs and folding my arms in front of my chest.

"Isabella, when you first came to us, I expected you to write a few of those books, and then finally see what you could do and do it, but you never did." Aro sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "Honestly, I was beginning to wonder if we had made a mistake by encouraging you at all."

"Oh, well, that makes me feel so much better," I murmured, feeling like a fool for coming here today. All I wanted was to go home to Edward and the boys, and cry.

"Please, don't misunderstand me, Isabella. Your other works are amazing, quite sensational in fact, and you've brought my little house quite a lot of revenue, but this," he said, placing his hand back on my novel. "This is what you should have been writing years ago. It's the best work you have ever done."

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to say to him. On one hand, he seemed to genuinely love my new book, but, on the other hand, he had called everything else I wrote shit. Tersely, I said, "Thank you."

"I don't mean to be rude, Isabella," he replied. "I apologize if I came off that way."

"You did," I admitted. "I worked hard on all of those books, Aro. They supported me and my son, provided a roof over our heads and put food on our table. I don't like being made to feel like my hard work was bullshit, just because I wrote something better."

Tanya was gawking at me. Aro's friendly smile changed as he leaned back, looking smugly. I placed my hands in my lap, keeping my eyes locked on his. I learned long ago sitting in my father's station house that you don't let people treat you like shit. You stand up for yourself and defend what's yours, and those books, they were mine.

"You're a firecracker," he laughed.

"I'm not, I'm just very protective over me and mine, Mr. Volturi," I said. He stopped laughing, and frowned.

"I am truly sorry for offending you, Isabella." He seemed sincere. Sighing, he stood up and moved around his desk, sitting on the edge. Crossing his ankles and folding his arms, he said, "You have an amazing gift, Isabella, and I hated sitting back and watching you wasting it because you were scared."

"You don't know anything about me," I quipped. Tanya shifted in her seat.

"I know more than you realized, my dear," he sighed. Aro stood up and walked back around his desk, pulling out manilla folder. Opening the folder, he pulled out a piece of paper, holding it out to me. "Read it."

I was confused as I took the paper from him. Turning it over and looked down at it, my breath caught in my chest.

**Dear Mr. Volturi,**

**I realize that you don't know me and probably get hundreds, if not thousands, of these types of letters  
every year, but I need you to listen to me. So to speak, anyway. My name is Brody Mallory and what I  
am about to say to you will change your entire life. See, I'm going to tell you about my girlfriend,  
Isabella Swan. **

**Isabella is the most amazing, incredible writer that I have ever met. Not that I have met a lot of writers.  
Just her, actually, but she's amazing. Everything she writes is so full of passion, and fire. She's puts her  
heart and soul into everything she writes, letting herself get lost in her characters. I could sit for hours  
and watch her tell a story, seeing the light flickering in her eyes and the small smiles playing on her lips. **

**Now, I know that everyone says this about their girlfriend, but I'm telling you the truth. She's the purest  
soul I have ever met and one day, she's going to be big and I'm sure you will wish that you had published  
her first. I'm offering you the chance to be a part of it. Attached to my letter is more than a dozen of her  
short stories, poems, story ideas. Read through them and if you can honestly say that they didn't make you  
wish you were her characters, then you can toss them. I'll understand, but know this, Mr. Volturi, I will never  
stop believing that Isabella is meant to be out there, sharing her gift with the world. **

**Thank you for you time,**

**Brody Mallory**

I hadn't realized it, but I had stood up and was pacing back and forth as I read Brody's words. I knew he had contacted Volturi Publishing about me, but he told me he went straight to Tanya. We fought over him going behind my back like he did, and didn't speak for days. It wasn't until Charlie and Lauren sat us both down and forced us to talk that we worked through it all. Two months later, I had a book deal and Brody had proposed to me.

"Isabella," murmured Tanya, softly. I looked over at her, feeling the tears pricking the corners of my eyes.

"You told me he sent you my stuff," I sniffled. "That's what you told me, Tanya."

"I know, but if I had brought you in here seven years ago, Isabella, you would have freaked out and had a major panic attack," she said, soothingly.

"What do you call this?" I hissed, waving my hands around.

"This is nothing," she exclaimed, standing up. She came over and pulled the letter out of my hand. "Most letters we get, are addressed to whomever it may concern. Brody did his homework, Sweetie. He hand delivered this letter to Aro, somehow finding a way around security to even get up here. That's how much he believed in you."

"You should have told me the truth," I whimpered.

"When?" she asked. "When you spent six years hiding from the world? Hiding in the grief? Hiding behind your son?"

"You leave him out of this, Tanya," I snapped. "You were supposed to be my friend."

"I am your friend, and it took every bit of my control not to smack the shit out of you and tell you to stop being a little whiny bitch and start living your fucking life," she said, harshly. I shifted my eyes to the floor. "Isabella, he believed in you so much that he was willing to risk everything for you."

"I know," I whispered. Looking back up at her, I told her, "I know, Tanya, but I have children to raise."

"You do," she smiled, bringing her hand up to my face. "Just calm down and listen to Aro, ok? For me?"

I nodded my head, sniffling back the tears before they could actually fall. Looking back over at him, I smiled weakly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he murmured. "Do you need another minute?"

I shook my head. "No, I would like to finish this and go home," I said, quietly.

"Very well." Aro moved back around his desk and settled in chair, while Tanya and I sat back down. "I hope it doesn't need to be said, but we are very interested in publishing your new book. Once you get the final edits made, we will begin production and have it out by the end of March, maybe April. Of course, that's when the real work begins. We will be arranging for you to starting a book tour, starting as soon as the book is released-"

"I'm sorry, that won't work," I said, interrupting him.

"Why not?" he asked, leaning back.

"I have two children who will still be in school until the end of May and I won't them here while I am traveling," I explained. "I'm getting married soon and I have to talk to him about this before I can commit to anything."

"Hmm," he hummed, bringing his finger up to his chin. "Ok, go home, talk this over with your groom-to-be and we will meet after the new year to finalize any details on the book tour. Does that sound ok?"

"Yes."

"Good, good," he said, standing up. He reached across his desk, offering me hand. "It's been a pleasure to finally met you."

"Likewise," I murmured, shaking his hand.

Tanya told him she would get with him later and walked me down to the elevator. I hugged her, promising to pass on a hug to the boys, and that she might get to meet Edward and Anthony soon. Once I was back down in the parking garage, I climbed into my car and headed to home. The meeting hadn't gone like I expected, it was better. I figured I would go in there and they would tell me my book was a shit and kick my ass out of the house, telling me to never, ever write again. While I was glad it didn't go like that, I hadn't thought of a book tour at all. There was no way I could leave Edward and the boys for weeks. My heart couldn't take it.

Twenty minutes later, I pulled my car in to the drive way of our new house. Edward's car was pulled into his side of the garage and the moving truck we had rented was parked out front, back open but empty. I nearly jumped out of the car, trying to get inside to everyone. When I walked into the house, the first thing I noticed was that they had gotten the TV set up and, everyone but Edward, Esme, and Alice, were plopped down on the couch, watching some football game.

"Hey, guys," I said, putting my bag down.

"Hey, how'd your meeting go?" asked Jasper, looking over at me.

"Ok," I murmured, shrugging my shoulders. "Where's Edward?"

"Boys' room," he smiled, sharing a look with Emmett.

Choosing to ignore them and whatever they were hiding, I headed down the hallway to their bedroom. The moment I walked in, I gasped, throwing my hands up to my lips. "Oh my god."

"I know," said Edward, turning from their closet. "It's incredible, isn't it?"

I nodded. "Marcus and Didyme?"

"Yes, they left you a letter," replied Edward, handing me a piece of paper. Unfolding it, I began to read.

**Bella,**

**Stop it right now. I know what you are thinking, and you're right, we didn't have to do this for your boys,  
but we wanted to. When our kids were little, I wanted their bedrooms to be someplace where they could  
escape and be children. Eventually, they grew older and requested that we change their rooms, and more  
than likely, yours will, too, but for now, I wanted them to have something special.**

**Your boys are beautiful. You and Edward have done an amazing job raising them, Bella. You should be proud  
of the men they are growing up to be. Marcus and I hope you and Edward will keep in touch, and please, be  
happy.**

**Didyme**

Bringing the letter to my chest, I looked around the room. Didyme had painted a mural on each wall of the solar system, showing the planets rotating at you looked around the room. The details were amazing and I felt the urge to reach out and touch one of them, to see if they were real or not. The ceiling was black with glow in the dark stars, and in the middle of the ceiling was the sun. It was like stepping out into space. I knew the boys were going to love it.

The tears that had been in my eyes since I read Brody's letter finally spilled down my cheeks as my knees gave out on me and I crumbled to the floor. In an instant, Edward was by my side, holding me, loving me. Right where I knew he would be for the rest of our lives.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate them all, and all of you for reading and leaving me reviews:)**


	41. Chapter 41

**EPOV**

Once Bella left for her meeting, I got the boys ready for their day with Rose, Elliott, and Ivy. She was a brave woman for agreeing to take all the kids, but with Bella having to meet with her publisher today, I needed all the help I could get. I had just forced Anthony into his coat when the doorbell rang. Rushing through the cardboard maze, I pulled the door open and found not only Rose, but Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Garrett, Ben, and Esme waiting for us.

"Good morning, Darling," smiled Esme, leaning in and kissing my cheek as she walked by.

"Morning, Mom," I muttered, ignoring Emmett, Jasper, Garrett, and Ben as they laughed quietly. Alice, however, laughed as loudly as she could. "Shut up, Alice."

"Edward, don't say that ugly word," scolded Esme, gesturing to my boys, who were snickering about me getting in trouble.

"Yeah, Dad, we're just kids," added Anthony.

"Adults today," sighed Alex, throwing up his hands. "What can you do?"

Rose laughed even harder. "Leave your Dad alone and let's get going," she giggled. "I have cookies and ice cream and loads more with extra sugar."

"Rose," I muttered.

"I'm teasing," she said. Winking at the boys, she mouthed 'No, I'm not.'

"Bye, Dad," they yelled, running out of the house.

"Rose, not too many sweets," I begged, knowing they would be climbing the walls if she gave them too much.

"Calm down, Edward," scoffed Rose, walking out of the house. I stepped onto the porch.

"I'm not kidding, Rosalie," I yelled.

However, she waved me off as she climbed into her SUV and pulled on her seat belt. From inside the house, I could hear everyone laughing, but I didn't find it funny at all. Bella would have my ass if the boys came back from Rose's all hyped up on sugar. I walked back into the house and glared at all of them. Easy for them to laugh, they weren't the ones going to be dealing with two five year olds high on sugar.

"Oh, Edward, a little sugar is not going to kill them," laughed Esme.

"Whatever," I muttered.

"Ok, so let's get this started," squealed Alice. She was way too excited about all of this. "Where should we start?"

"Well, I would say that we need to clear out all of these boxes, if we are going to get any of the furniture out. How do you two have so much?" asked Ben.

"Dude, this is two houses worth of stuff," I reminded him.

"Still, this is a shit load of crap," he muttered.

"Benjamin David Cheney, just because the kids are not here, does not mean you can use such language," sighed Esme, walking into the kitchen. "Honestly, your mother raised you better."

"Sorry, Esme," said Ben. We all laughed. He shook his head as he looked up at me. "Dude, your mom really knows how to lay on a guilt trip."

"That she does," I agreed.

It took us most of the morning to get everything from the house loaded into the moving truck, Emmett's Jeep, Jasper's truck, and the other cars but we finally did. Before I shut the door behind me, I took one more look around the house that held a lot of good memories in a very short amount of time. Even though this place was never my home, I fell for Bella and Alex inside theses walls. But I knew that our new house would be our home.

oOoOoO

"Fuck, Edward, you and Bella have too much shit," muttered Emmett as he and I carried in the last of the boys' beds.

"We do," I agreed, feeling the burn in my arms and legs. "You should be thankful we ditched most of the shit from mine and Anthony's house."

"Thank fucking god," muttered Jasper, walking past us.

"Must you boys use such language," huffed Esme, walking through from the boys bathroom into the kitchen.

"Sorry," we all muttered, not really meaning it. Alice's girlish giggles came trickling out from the kitchen and I rolled my eyes. She cursed like a sailor.

"There's only one more box left," I hollered after Jasper.

Jasper waved me off. Emmett and I got the mattress onto Alex's bed frame but then turned and left me alone to get their room set up. A moment later, I heard the TV turn on in the living room. The first thing Emmett and Garrett did when we brought the TV into the house was get it hooked up to the cable line. They claimed it would be for the boys when they got here, but I knew them better than that.

I turned to the boys closet and started unpacking their clothes. If we could get the boys room, kitchen, and bathroom set up, then we would be ok for the night at least. There was so much to get done but I knew Bella and I would be able to get it done over the next few days. I really wanted to get everything set up before Christmas. A smile spread over my face as I thought about how different this Christmas would be than last years.

"Oh my god,"gasped Bella.

"I know," I said, turning from the boys closet and looking over at Bella. She looked completely exhausted. "It's incredible, isn't it?"

Bella nodded. "Marcus and Didyme?"

"Yes, they left you a letter," I replied, handing her the note I had found taped to the boys door when we came in this morning.

Bella unfolded it and began to read. When I walked into this room and saw what they had done, I couldn't believe it. Shocked was not a strong enough word for how I felt. To think of all the time and effort they had spent in this room, making it perfect for our sons. We were lucky that we had gotten the chance to know Marcus and Didyme. Somehow, it seemed like they became a part of our growing family.

I looked back over at Bella just as she crushed the note to her chest and dropped to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. My eyes went wide and my heart jumped in my chest as I dropped the pile of shirts in my hands and scooped her into my arms. Bella fisted my t-shirt, burying her face into my chest, crying even harder.

"Edward, where do you want..." Esme stopped speaking when she saw me and Bella on the floor. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," I muttered, looking over Bella's head at my mother. "Give us a minute, please?"

Esme nodded her head before leaving us alone, shutting the door behind her. Bella kept sobbing, holding onto me as tightly as she could. All I could do was whisper that I was here, that everything was ok. I just had no clue what had set her off. I mean, the room looked great and Marcus and Didyme had been so generous to do this for our boys, but something told me that there was more to this than just this room.

"Momma!" yelled Alex as the door to his and Anthony's room got thrown open.

"Sweetie, hold on," muttered Esme, chasing after him. Bella pulled out of my arms, wiping the tears off her face.

"Momma, why are you crying?" asked Alex, scrunching up his little face. He looked from her to me, narrowing his little eyes. "You made her cry. You don't make my mommy cry!"

"Alex, Sweetheart, he didn't make me cry," she murmured, lifting him into her arms. Sniffling back the remaining tears that threatened to fall. "I'm just really tired."

"Are you sure, Momma?" whispered Alex, bringing his hands up to Bella's face. I could feel the tears building on my own eyes as I watch them together.

"Yeah, Honey, I'm sure," she said, trying to smile. "Now, where's your brother?"

"With Uncle Em," he muttered, laying his head on Bella's shoulder. "I don't like it when you cry."

"I'm not crying anymore," she whispered, kissing his cheek. "Now, tell me what you and Anthony did today. I missed you both so much."

Esme stepped out of the way as Bella and Alex walked by her. Looking back at me, my mother raised an eyebrow. "What is going on?" she asked.

"I don't know," I admitted. "She just started crying and I don't know."

"Oh," she frowned, looking back toward the living room. "I'm sure she's ok. Just a bit overwhelmed with the move and everything."

"I'm sure you're right," I murmured, clearing my throat.

Esme let it drop and walked back into the rest of the house. I bent over and picked up the clothes I had dropped in the middle of the floor and proceeded to finish unpacking everything. From the living room, I heard Bella and the boys laughing over something that Emmett said. Once I had all of their clothes put away, I headed back out to the living room. Bella was sitting cross legged in the floor with the boys in front of her as she told them a story. Emmett, Garrett, Jasper, and Ben were all smiling as they listened in.

"The little girl fell to the forest floor, crying because she was lost and all the trees looked the same. All she could think was about how she would never see her daddy again and that made her very sad. See, her daddy was her very best friend and she needed him so much," said Bella.

"Like our Daddy," whispered Anthony, gnawing on his bottom lip like Bella always did. "Cause we need him."

"Just like Daddy," smiled Bella, reaching over and stroking his cheek. "Now, the little girl had been told what to do if she got lost but because she was so scared, she forgot. She thought her Daddy would never find her and she would be lost forever."

My mother came up behind me, placing her hand on my shoulder as Bella went on. "As the day shifted into night, the little girl laid on ground. She had stopped crying but still felt very afraid. The clouds shifted in the sky and she looked up and do you know what she saw?" asked Bella, smiling at our boys.

"No," murmured Alex, shaking his head. Both of their eyes were wide and they were completely enthralled with her tale.

"The stars," whispered Bella. Both of the boys gasped. "So many stars. They just lit up the sky, like little diamonds sparkling just for her. She rolled onto her back and stared at them." Bella smiled as she looked from Alex to Anthony. "Can you guess how many stars there were?"

"A million," breathed Emmett. Bella laughed as she turned and looked at him. He blushed as he leaned back, embarrassed for having gotten wrapped up in her story as well.

"At least a million," she confirmed, turning back to Alex and Anthony. "The little girl started counting the stars. One, two, three, four, five. She got all the way up to one hundred and eighteen when she heard the best sound ever. Do you know what it was?" she asked. They all shook their heads, Emmett, Jasper, Ben, and Garrett, included.

"The little girl heard her Daddy calling her name. She jumped to her feet and looked as her father came running through the trees. She started crying again but this time, her tears were tears of happiness. She jumped into her father's open arms and wrapped her body around his. He promised her that he would never let her get lost again and he never did. He took her home and kept her safe."

"Forever?" asked Anthony.

Bella nodded. "Forever," she murmured, thickly. She shifted her eyes over their heads and looked at me, smiling. "And ever."

Esme patted my shoulder before she walked past me. "Boys, we should get going and let Bella and Edward get the boys settled," said my mother, addressing my brother, Jasper, Garrett, and Ben.

Alice lopped her arm in with mine as they stood up and hugged Bella and the boys before heading out "Love you, big brother," she said, quietly.

"Love you, too, sis," I murmured, leaning down and kissing the top of Alice's head. "Thanks for all the help."

"Anything for those boys, Edward," she whispered, looking up at me.

Alice hugged Bella and the boys before she left, causing the boys to grumble as she insisted on kissing both of their cheeks. Bella laughed and walked my sister out to her car. The boys took off into their bedroom, yelling about how cool the mural was and who got which side of the room. I walked over to the front door and watched as Alice and Bella giggled together. Alice said something to Bella, causing her to look over her shoulder at me and smile. A beautiful, breathtaking smile. My smile.

Once Alice got into her car and left, Bella turned and headed back into the house. She wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned up and kissed me. "I don't know about you but I am starving," she said. "How about we order Chinese?"

"Perfect. I'll unpack the plates while you call," I chuckled. "We may be living out of boxes for while."

"Probably," she giggled.

Leaning up, she kissed me again, sliding her tongue across my bottom lip. I moaned as I wrapped my arms around her, deepening the kiss as I parted her lips, slipping my tongue in. Bella pressed her body against mine, sliding her hands up my back. My body shivered in anticipation.

"Ew, stop kissing," whined Alex. Bella and I laughed as we looked over and saw him and Anthony standing at the end of the hallway, arms folded in front of them.

"Seriously, it was cute at first but now you kiss all the time," muttered Anthony.

"I'm going to kiss you now," giggled Bella.

The boys eyes popped open and they took off down the hallway to their room, Bella hot on their heels. I heard them squeal and laugh as she tackled them down and started planting kisses all over their faces. Shutting the front door behind me, I headed into the kitchen and started unpacking some plates and silverware.

"Those two make me tired," laughed Bella, coming into the kitchen. Slipping her arms around my waist, she kissed the middle of my back. "You want your usual?"

"Yep," I said, holding up a three forks. "Three down, one to go."

"Good job, Honey," she giggled, reaching up and patting me on the head.

I swatted her on the ass, causing her to giggle again as she reached over for the phone. A giggling Bella made my cock hard. She called in our order for fried rice, cashew chicken,beef broccoli, lemon chicken and a full order of spring rolls while I finished digging out the silverware and plates. While we waited for the food to arrive, we tried to get the kitchen unpacked. My mother and Alice had done a lot but Bella ended up moving things around, muttering about how she didn't understand why they would put the glasses in the cabinet next to the sink, when clearly that's where the plates belonged.

Forty-five minutes after Bella called, the doorbell chimed as the delivery boy from our favorite Chinese place arrived. Bella went to pay him and get our food while I headed down to the boys room. When I opened their door, I found them sitting on the floor with a a big pile of legos between them. It looked like they were building some type of castle.

"That looks pretty cool," I said. The boys smiled as they looked over at me.

"It's our new house," explained Anthony.

"Yeah, this is our room right here." Alex smiled as he pointed to one of the open areas on the house. Moving his little finger over to the one next to his, he said, "This is where our little sister will live."

"Little sister?" I choked.

"Yeah, when you and mom have a baby," he said.

The air stilled in my lungs as I stared at me sons, who just smiled. Without saying anything, I turned and walked back down to the kitchen, where Bella was dishing out food for them. She looked up and started to smile, but stopped when she saw the look on my face.

"Babe, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Sister," I muttered, shaking my head.

"What?" she asked, but I couldn't say anything. Snapping her fingers in my face, Bella said. "Edward, snap out of it and talk to me."

I laughed,humorlessly. "They are planning on getting a little sister," I gulped. Bella's eyes went wide as she turned toward their bedroom.

"Oh shit," she mumbled.

"Yeah," I agreed. Shifting from one foot to the other, I asked, "Have you thought about us having a baby?"

"Um," she whispered, looking up at me. "Kind of but not yet or anytime soon."

"Oh, thank god, cause I don't think we are ready for that."

Bella laughed, wrapping her arms around my waist. "Me either," she admitted. "I think we need to focus on getting married and stuff before we think about having a baby."

"You know, I really love you."

"I really love you, too," she said, smiling as she leaned up and kissed me. "Now, get the boys cause I am starving."

"Ok, ok," I chuckled.

I called the boys in from their room and luckily, they didn't say anything else about us having a baby. Bella and I needed time to be together before we added another child to our family. We put some cartoons on for the boys while we ate. They scarfed down their food and ran back into their room, gabbing animatedly about legos.

By the time I went in to get the boys into bed, they had succeeded in destroying their bedroom. Well, not really, but they had dragged out most of their toys and books. Normally, I would insist that they cleaned it all up but since it had been such a long day, I decided to let it go and just them into bed. Honestly, I was exhausted.

Once I had both of the boys in bed, after reading them each two stories and trying to explain how the planets revolved around the sun, I closed their bedroom door and headed into mine and Bella's bedroom. Leaning against the doorway, I watched as Bella organized the books on her night table. She had changed into a soft pink, cotton nightgown that had little ballerina slippers on them. Her long dark hair had been pulled up into a messy bun on the back of her head, and she had never looked more beautiful than she did right now.

"Are you going to keep staring at me?" she asked, smiling as she looked over her shoulder at me. "I might start getting a complex."

"As what?" I chuckled, walking in and shutting the door behind me. "The sexiest woman in the world."

"Whatever," she snorted, pulling her legs up onto the bed and laying her head on her knees. "I'm exhausted."

"Me too," I said, stripping off my t-shirt and tossing it into the laundry basket behind the door. "I thought I was in good shape until we started moving all the furniture. Baby, my body hurts."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to help," she murmured. "I should have been."

I didn't say anything as I stripped my jeans off and climbed onto our bed next to her. Propping myself up on my elbow, I reached over and took her hand in mine. "Are we going to talk about what happened when you got home?"

Bella's eyes fluttered to a close. "Everything was just so...overwhelming." Opening her eyes, she turned and looked at me. "They want to publish my book."

"That's great," I smiled. Bella shook her head. "That's not great?"

"No, it is great, except that they want me to go on a book tour," she explained.

"And that's bad?" I asked.

"No," she sighed.

"I'm really not understanding," I muttered.

"The book tour would be in late March or early April," she said.

"Oh." I finally understood.

"Yeah," she murmured. "I can't leave you and the boys."

"How long are we talking?" I asked. "A few weeks?"

"Probably," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "But the boys will still be in school. You'll need me here."

"Of course, we do, but this is your dream, Bella. You can't give it up just because of us."

"I don't want to go without you," she whispered, tearfully.

"Oh, Baby," I murmured, pulling her down to me, and holding her against my chest. Bella slipped her arm around my waist.

"How can I just leave you here?" she asked. "I can't even get through one day without you and the boys. A week would kill me."

"Then we'll go with you," I suggested. Bella leaned up.

"The boys can't miss weeks of school, even in kindergarten," she said.

"They won't," I smiled. Bringing my hand up to her face, I brushed my fingers across her cheek. "What if we talk to them about postponing your tour until the boys are out of school. Then we can go with you."

"But what about your job?" she asked.

"I'll close the studio for awhile," I said. "Maybe I'll use this for my advantage and photograph this really hot, new author that is fixing to take the world by storm."

Bella blushed. "I can't ask you to do that," she murmured, running her fingers over my chest. I shivered just from her touch. Looking up at me, she asked, "Cold?"

"No," I whispered. "You aren't asking, I'm offering. Bella, we're a family and this is what we do for each other."

"But the boys-"

"Don't," I said, rolling so that I was facing her. "Don't use me and the boys as an excuse to not do this."

Turning her eyes from me, she whispered, "I'm scared."

"Of what?" I asked.

"That I won't be good enough." Bella's voice shook with fear and uncertainty. "What if nobody likes it? I took such a huge chance with this book."

"Everyone is going to love it," I murmured. "Aro Volturi wouldn't be publishing it if he thought it was crap."

Bella laughed, dryly. "Oh,, but apparently everything else I wrote was crap," she muttered.

"What?" I asked. Bella sighed as she sat up, crossing her legs in front of her.

"Aro told me that compared to the book I just wrote, everything else is shit," she explained. My jaw clenched tightly. What an asshole! "I had never been so humiliated, Edward. I worked so hard on all of my books and he just threw them out like they were yesterday's newspaper."

"Oh, Baby, I'm sorry," I murmured, taking her hand. "Want me to beat him up?" I asked, smiling. "Because I will totally kick his ass."

Bella pulled on her bottom lip as she shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, though."

"Just say the word and I'll do it," I chuckled, gently pushing her back and hovering over her. "I'd do anything for you."

"Anything?" she whispered.

"Anything," I confirmed.

"Love me forever," she murmured.

"I do," I smiled.

"Say it again."

Smiling bigger, I said, "I do."

"Again," she pleaded, as I slipped her nightgown off.

"I do," I whispered.

Bella and I removed the last of our clothing, pulling each other as close as we could as our bodies became one once again. We let our bodies say what our lips had spoken dozens of times. Letting the rocking of our hips, the grazing of our hands, and the quickening of our breath show the other how much we needed each other. As my name fell from her lips in a moment of pure ecstasy, I found myself finally at home.

**Thank you for all the reviews. So I think we have about five chapter or so left in this one but don't worry, there will be a sequel. **


	42. Chapter 42

**BPOV**

"Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg," sang Alex and Anthony running through the kitchen and down the hallway to their bedroom, singing it for the millionth time in the last five days. I gripped the knife in my hand, taking a deep cleansing breath before I did something really crazy like stabbing myself in the eardrums.

"You look so happy," smirked Charlie, leaning against the counter next to me. I turned and faced him, knife pointed at him.

"You know, this is all your fault," I hissed.

"How?" he challenged. "I did nothing."

"You," I sneered, turning back to the ham I had been slicing, "taught them that song and now they will not stop singing it and I am about to lose my freaking mind!"

"So, what you are saying is that you wish they would keep singing?" he snickered. I glared at him, turning and checking on the macaroni and cheese and the scallop potatoes, both warming in the oven. "Oh, come on, Bells, it's funny!"

"Yeah, whatever," I muttered, pulling out each dish and placing them on the top of the stove. "Do you think you could get the boys to wash their hands so we can eat?"

"I guess," he sighed, walking out of the kitchen. "You lost your sense of humor."

Even though my father and darling sons were annoying the shit out of me, I couldn't help but smile. Today, Christmas Eve, would be the first Christmas that Edward and I would spend together. That my son would have a father and a brother sitting around the table, and that I wouldn't end up sitting in front of the tree, putting out last minute gifts all on my own. No, this year, Edward and I got to be Santa together.

"This smells delicious," murmured Edward, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling my body back into his. "And the food does, too."

I smiled. "You don't smell too bad yourself, Handsome," I whispered, turning in his arms and pressing my lips against his.

"Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg!" screamed the boys.

I groaned pulling back from Edward and shaking my head. "I'm going to kill my father. You're ok with raising the boys on your own, right?"

"No, not really," he chuckled. "Maybe you can wait until they are grown before you kill him."

"Boys, come here, I know another song." I heard my father laughing as he corrupted my children.

"Or not," sighed Edward. "Well, can you at least try to get away with it?"

"I can try but I've never been a good liar," I giggled, leaning up and kissing him again.

"Stop kissing my daughter, boy, and help her bring out the food. We're starving here," yelled Charlie.

Edward started laughing against my lips, pulling back from me. "I could help you, you know? I have the perfect spot picked out."

I opened my mouth to reply but my father yelled, "Now, boy, we ain't getting any younger!"

"You get the shovel, I'll take care of the old man," I muttered.

Edward laughed, pecking me on the lips once more, and grabbed the plate of sliced ham. I sighed contently as I picked up the homemade macaroni and cheese, carrying it out to the dinning room, where my father and boys sat at the table, bottom lips jouted out and trying to look innocent. Rolling my eyes, I went into the kitchen and finished grabbing the rest of the food.

"The pouting," I said, placing the potatoes on the table, "is getting old and fast, boys and Charlie."

"It's dad," he grumbled.

"It's Charlie when you act like a child," I smirked, taking my seat next to Edward.

He sat at the head of the table, trying his hardest not to completely burst out laughing. Alex and Anthony sat across from me, both looking at my father for guidance on how to get out of this. That alone was a scary thought. Charlie sat at the other end of the table, arms folded in front of him and a hurt look on his face. After a moment of trying to stare me down, he huffed and looked away.

"That's no way to treat your old man, Bella. Especially on Christmas, when I'm all alone," he grumbled.

"Alone," I scoffed. "You have us."

"And Sue did invite you over," smirked Edward. I laughed as my father's checks turned bright red and he shifted his eyes anywhere but in my direction.

"Sue, eh?" I asked, trying my hardest not to completely lose it and burst out laughing. "What's this with Sue, Dad?"

"Oh, so it's dad again, huh?" he snorted.

"Daddy," I sang, causing him to roll his eyes.

"Daddy? Really? You haven't called me daddy since you were about six years old," he grumbled. I just smiled at him, waiting for him to explain. "Fine, you nosy brat. Sue and I have been talking."

"Talking?" I asked. "Is that what they call it?"

"Isabella," he muttered, turning an even brighter shade of red.

"Oh, Dad," I laughed, falling back in my chair. Edward tried not to laugh but failed miserably, and had to leave the table before he ended up knocking all the food off. The boys, however, looked confused.

"Grown ups are weird," muttered Alex, looking over at Anthony. "What's the big deal with them talking?"

"I don't know." Anthony shrugged his shoulders. "You and Anna talk all the time."

Just like that, all laughter stopped. Charlie and I looked over at the boys, and Edward came out of the kitchen, mouth wide open. Alex and Anthony looked around at all three of us. "What?" they asked.

"Nothing," I said, picking up the dish of mac and cheese. "Why don't we eat?"

We quickly filled our plates, listening to the boys tell Charlie what they were hoping to get for Christmas this year. They were both so excited about opening presents in the morning, finding out what Santa Claus was bringing them, and going to Carlisle and Esme's tomorrow to celebrate with the rest of the family. Unfortunately, Charlie couldn't be there tomorrow. He always offered to work on Christmas Day to give those men with families at home the day off. It was only one of the things I admired about my father, even if I would miss him.

"I'm done. Can we open presents now?" Alex asked, for at least the fifth time tonight.

I smiled. "Take your plates into the kitchen first."

Faster than I though possible, the boys were out of their seats and into the kitchen, plates in hand and smiled on their own faces. Charlie stood up, grabbing his own plate and followed. "Hurry, boys, I want to open presents, too."

Edward and I both burst out laughing, grabbing our own dishes and following them in. The boys, and Charlie, headed out to the living room while Edward and I took our time putting the leftover food into the fridge and loading the dishwasher. Yes, we were being cruel and making them wait a little longer than we really needed to, but after a long day of hearing the three of them singing, yelling, screaming; they owed us big time.

Finally, we headed into the living room and found all three of them sitting in front of the tree, presents spread out in front of them and angelic smiles on their faces. Edward scoffed but didn't say anything as we settled down on the couch in front of them. We had just gotten the tree up last night, and I'll admit to being worried we wouldn't get it up in time.

"Can we start now?" asked Anthony.

"Yes," I said, smiling.

The boys grinned as they grabbed the first present sitting in front of them, one of three that Charlie brought them. Ripping off the paper, they both gasped at the matching Spiderman fishing poles. Laying my head on Edward's shoulder, I sat and watched as Charlie showed them both all the little gadgets that came with them and insisted that as soon as the weather warmed up a bit, that he would take them fishing again. He would, too, because Charlie always kept his word.

"Open yours, Grandpa," urged Alex, pushing the gift he and Anthony had made for him towards my father.

"Ok." Charlie smiled as he picked up the package. Ripping the candy cane wrapping paper off and pulling the lid off the box, my father brought his hand up, looking at both of them with tears in his eyes. "Wow."

"Do you like it?" asked Anthony.

Charlie lifted the small silver picture frame up and looked at the picture of him and the boys. The picture Edward had managed to take of the three of them at Thanksgiving without him noticing. The boys begged us to let them give it to him for Christmas, and of course, we couldn't say no. Anthony moved so that he was sitting in Charlie's lap.

"When I came to your house, you had a bunch of pictures of you and Alex, but none of me or of us. And, um," whispered Anthony, turning and laying his head on my father's chest. "I wanted to have a place there, too."

Charlie's lips trembled as he leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "You already do, Squirt."

I reached up and wiped the tears away as I watched my father and son bonding. However, the excitement of all the unopened gifts was too much and Anthony climbed out my father's lap and returned to his presents. To go with the fishing poles, Charlie bought them each a fishing hat and a tackle box, after reassuring me all that was inside was safe. To top it all off, he got both the boys gift cards to their favorite toy store, insisting that they didn't have nearly enough. Since it was Christmas, I decided not to argue with him.

"Here," said Charlie, tossing me a present.

"Hope it wasn't breakable," I muttered.

"I learned a long time ago not to get you anything breakable," chuckled Charlie. I scowled, rolling my eyes.

"Why?" asked Alex, pulling his new hat on top of his head. His ear pushed out, over the large brim.

"Because your momma's pretty darn clumsy," he laughed. I huffed, folding my arms across my chest. "When she was ten, she begged me to get her this little crystal figurine of a ballerina. So being the good father that I am, I bought it for her. She unwrapped it, awing all over it. She stood up, her foot got caught in the blanket on the couch and she fell, smashing it to pieces."

"First of all, you grabbed my foot, while begging me to make you some french toast," I exclaimed. "Secondly, I wasn't the one who broke it. You grabbed it out of my hands and took off running, trying to hold it hostage until I agreed to make you the toast. You stubbed your toe in the kitchen and fell, throwing it against the wall and shattering it. You felt so guilty, you took me to get my ears pierced the very next week."

Charlie opened his mouth but quickly closed it again. "You're mean," he muttered.

I laughed, picking up the present in my lap and pulling the ends of the wrapping paper up, slowly. Charlie and the boys huffed, grumbling under their breaths about me needing to hurry, I ignored them. Placing the paper on the couch next to me, I held the small square box in my hand, smiling as I lifted the top of the box.

"Oh, Dad," I whispered, feeling the tears building up in my eyes and gently lifting the palm-sized crystal heart Christmas ornament out of the box. In the middle of the heart, the words 'Cullen Family' were etched in gold.

"I figured that, you know, with this being your first Christmas together and everything that you might want something, I don't know, special for your tree," he mumbled, cheeks turning red.

I stood up off the couch, and knelt down next to my father, slipping my arms around him. "Thank you, Daddy."

"You're welcome," he grumbled, patting me awkwardly on the back. Smiling, I stood up and hung the ornament on the tree, right in the middle where the clear lights shone through it.

Turning back to Edward, I said, "That's perfect, don't you think?"

"I do," he agreed, nodding his head.

I moved back over and sat next to him, cuddling up as Alex, Anthony, and Charlie opened a few more of their gifts. Edward moved his arm around my waist, leaning down and pressing his lips onto the top of my head, whispering, "I love you."

Sliding my arm across his stomach, I told him with my touch what I had said dozens of times with my words. I loved him, I was in love with him. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I shifted my gaze up to the Christmas ornament hanging on the tree, the one with our family name on it.

"Well, I had better get going," groaned Charlie, standing up and ignoring the popping of his knees.

"Thank you, Grandpa, for our presents," said Alex, standing up and hugging him. Anthony followed, wrapping his little arms around my father's legs.

"Yeah, thanks, Grandpa," he murmured.

"You're welcome," chuckled Charlie, patting their backs. "Make sure you get some sleep tonight so Santa can come see you."

"We will," laughed Anthony.

"Come on, boys, let's go get ready for bed," said Edward, trying to usher them out of the living room. He held his hand out to my father. "Merry Christmas, Charlie."

My father smiled, ignoring Edward's hand and hugging him, catching him completely by surprise. "Merry Christmas, Edward."

After the standard, awkward three pat hug that most men seemed to do, Edward followed our boys into their bedroom while Charlie picked up his gifts, smiling at the picture of him and the boys together. I went over to the tree and pulled out a small present and handed it to him, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"The usual," I smiled.

"Thank God, I was almost out," he laughed, knowing that I always got him a bottle of his favorite cologne, Old Spice. It was silly, but the smell always made me think about my dad. It just became our thing. He smiled, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a white envelope. "The usual."

I laughed, taking the iTunes gift card. "Thanks. I thought you had forgotten."

"Never," he winked, walking over to the door. I followed, wrapping my arms around myself as he tugged on his coat.

"Be careful driving home tonight, ok?" I asked. Charlie rolled his eyes. "Dad, I'm serious."

"I am always careful," he chuckled, looking up at me. One look at the serious expression on my face caused his smirk to drop. Charlie reached out, pulling me in for a hug. "Honey, I promise to be extra careful."

"I love you, Dad. I don't tell you enough, do I?"

"You tell me every time I talk to you and I hear your smart mouth," he whispered, kissing my forehead. "I love you, too. And I'm really glad that you won't be alone this year."

"Me too," I murmured, thickly.

I watched from the doorway as Charlie headed out to his car, climbed in, and drove off. Shutting the door behind me, I locked it and turned off the front porch light. I went over and looked at the Christmas ornament my father had gotten us, all four of us, and smiled. My father, the sentimental man.

"The boys are waiting for you to come tell them good night," said Edward, wrapping his arms around my waist and leaning down, pressing his lips against the side of my neck. The man had an obsession with the side of my neck.

"Ok." I sighed, tilting my head to the side and giving him more access. Edward growled, somehow pulling me even further into his body than I already was, and causing me to shiver. "The boys," I whispered.

"Hurry," he mumbled, letting me go.

I left him standing in the living room as I walked down the hallway to their room, stopping in the doorway. Both boys were laying in their beds, fishing hats on, and smiles on their faces. The ceiling of their bedroom sparkled with all the stars that Marcus and Didyme had put up for them and their blue lava lamp sat on their dresser, lighting up the room. I moved over and sat on the edge of Anthony's bed, tucking the blankets in around him, before moving over to Alex's bed, doing the same for him.

"Momma, is Santa really real?" asked Alex.

"What do you think?"

He scrunched up his little face, trying his hardest to decide. "I think he's real," murmured Anthony, and we looked over at him. "Only, I think sometimes, it takes him a little longer to get you your gift."

"Why do you think that?" I wondered.

Anthony pulled his lip in between his teeth, nervously. "Because you didn't come to us until a long time after Christmas was over."

"Oh," I whispered. Taking a deep breath, I smiled. "Then I guess he must be real, isn't he?"

"Yeah," smiled Anthony. He looked over at Alex. "See, I told you."

"Maybe we should have asked Santa for a sister then," frowned Alex, and I barely managed to keep from cursing.

"Yeah, maybe next year we can ask for her," suggested Anthony. "We could get two sisters."

"Or three," laughed Alex, rolling onto his side. "Or-"

"Or you can go to sleep," I said, standing up. "Goodnight, boys."

"Night, Momma," they replied. I walked over to their door, gripping the door knob tightly.

"We need to decide how many sisters we want," I heard Alex say as I shut the door behind me.

Laughing to myself, I walked back into the living room, where Edward was laying across the couch and laid down on top of him. "Our sons are plotting for a sister again," I informed him. He laughed. "In fact, they are thinking two or three might be nice."

"Holy fuck," he grumbled.

"My thoughts exactly," I giggled, laying my head on his chest. All the lights were off, with the exception of the tree lights. "I'm tired."

"Too tired to open one more present?" he asked. Leaning up, I frowned.

"I thought we agreed this house was our gift to each other," I said. "I don't have anything for you."

"Well, this is kind of a gift for both of us." Edward was being cryptic, very unlike him. Slipping out from under me, he went over to the coat closet and pulled out a manilla envelope. Turning back to me, he shifted from one foot to the other, before walking back over, sitting on the floor in front of me. "Here."

"What's this?" I took the envelope from him as I sat up, watching him for any clue to what was going on.

"I..." Edward trailed off, shaking his head. "I want to adopt Alex."

**Thank you for all the reviews. I truly adore each and everyone of them. And busymommy, remember what I told you about Charlie, ok? If you haven't been reading her stories, Going Under for the Third Time, and Let Your Fingers Do the Talking, go read them. Both are Jas/Bella fics and are excellent!**


	43. Chapter 43

**EPOV**

My hands shook as I sat in front of her, waiting desperately for her to say something, anything. Without saying a word, she opened the envelope pulling out the stack of legal papers that would begin the process of legally making Alex my son. Bella flipped through them, before looking up at me, eyes swimming with tears.

"You want to adopt him?" She barely spoke over a whisper, each word thick with emotions.  
Reaching out, I covered her hands with mine. "I do," I admitted. "He's already mine in my heart, but, baby, I want to make him mine legally. When you and I get married, you'll be a Cullen. I don't want Alex to be the only one of us not linked by name."

Dropping the papers on the floor, Bella launched herself at me, wrapping her arms and legs around my body, ducking her head into my neck, sobbing. I held her tight, letting her have time to adjust to everything. The last four months had been nothing short of a roller coaster ride for both of us. We'd had to give up so much pain, letting go of our lost lovers, finally finding our way to each other. While I held her in my arms, I knew Sarah would know I'd always love her, even after I'd fallen in love with Bella.

Bella pulled back, wiping the tears off onto the back of her hand, smiling weakly at me. "Sorry, I don't know what came over me," she murmured, dropping her eyes from mine. "You amaze me."

"I do?" I smiled, lifting her eyes to mine. She nodded, blushing. "I think you're amazing."

"Edward," she wept.

Reaching up, I brushed the tears off her face. "I love you, Bella, and I love Alex. I want our family to be linked in every possible way. Please, allow me to adopt him, to make him my son legally."

"On one condition," she whispered.

"Anything," I agreed.

"You have to wait until after we're married, then I want to adopt Anthony," She stated. "I want him to be mine, just like Alex is yours."

Leaning my forehead against hers, I kissed her. "Deal. I love you."

"I love you, too," she murmured. "Merry Christmas, baby."

"Merry Christmas." Bella checked to see if the boys were asleep while I headed out to the garage to grab their gifts from Santa, two shiny, red bicycles without training wheels.

When we sat down as a family to write their letters to Santa, they both explained that now that they were big boys, they didn't need training wheels. Neither Bella nor I were sure they were ready, but I agreed to take them of their old bikes and see if they could ride them. To our surprise the boys climbed on, taking off without any trouble. So we mailed their letters, searched for the right ones, hiding them among the pile of unpacked boxes in the garage.

Pulling open the door, I stuck my head in. Bella stood in front of the fireplace, filling their stockings. "Is the coast clear?"

Bella smiled, looking over her shoulder at me, pure sex dripping off of her. "They're fast asleep, but Alex mumbled something in his sleep about a sister."

"They're determined to get one, aren't they?" I snorted, carrying in the first of the two bikes.

"Yeah," she chuckled. "Maybe one day."

As I stood there, a picture of Bella, belly round with our daughter, both boys leaning down, kissing her stomach while she laughed, floated through my head. Shaking my head, I set the bike down in front of the tree, heading back out for the second one. Maybe one day, Bella and I would have another child, but for now, we would love the two we had.

Once we had everything ready, including two new helmets, we locked up the house, headed into our bedroom. Keeping our eyes locked, we stripped off the other's clothes, letting our fingers grazing soft, smooth skin. Climbing into our bed, Bella and I made love, reaffirming our love for each other, falling asleep with our arms wrapped around the other.

It felt like we'd barely fallen asleep when a couple of loud squeals woke us up. Before we realized what was going on, the door to our bedroom was thrown open, two very excited little boys were jumping on our bed, chattering a mile a minute for us to get up.

"Stop bouncing," ordered Bella, sitting up. The boys stopped, but the bed still shook from the shear excitement vibrating off both of them. "What's got you two so excited?" she wondered, looking between them both. "Oh, I know, you found out that you have school today."

"No!" they both yelled, falling back on the bed, another round of laughter leaving them.

Bella giggled, shifting up, pinning them both onto the bed, attaching their faces with kisses. They laughed harder, trying to get away but she had them firmly in place. I brought my arm up behind my head, watching as my family interacted. Tears burned my eyes, for the first time in so long, I didn't dread waking up on Christmas morning.

"Momma, stop," begged Alex, putting his hand on her forehead, pushing her head away. "I can't breathe."

Bella smiled leaning back from them. The boys sat up, scooting to the end of the bed, like they were afraid she would pounce on them again. Based on the gleaming look in her eyes, I knew she would.

"What time is it?" I suppressed a yawn.

"Just after seven," she groaned, falling back on the pillows.

"Why are you two up so early?" I whined.

"It's Christmas," scoffed Alex.

"Duh, now get your rear ends out of bed," laughed Anthony, jumping off our bed, taking off toward the living room. "Santa's been here!"

Alex laughed, following his brother by jumping off the bed, but landing on his knee. Muttered about the floor hurting him, he stood up, limping out our bedroom. I looked over at Bella, shaking my head. She had her hand covering her mouth, trying her hardest not to burst out laughing.

"Think they're a little excited?" I smirked.

"Just a tad," she laughed, leaning down, kissing me.

"MOM! DAD!" they bellowed, from the other room.

Bella groaned, pulling away. "WE'RE COMING!" She yelled. Turning back to me, she shook her head. "How long do you think we can put them off?"

"Not very long," I jibed. "They're feisty, like you."

"Me?" quipped Bella. "They're impatient like you."

"I'm not impatient," I disagreed, placing my hand on the back of her neck, pulling her lips down onto mine. "I am greedy, though."

Smiling against my lips, she murmured, "Very greedy."

Before I could deepen the kiss, the boys yelled for us to hurry. Cursing under my breath, we climbed out of bed, heading back out to the living room. The boys were standing next to their new bicycles, helmets already on, along with their shoes, coats, gloves, and scarves. We shared a look.

"Can we go ride them?" Alex, bouncing on his toes, as he asked. "Please, Mom!"

"It's really cold outside," she fretted, looking between them both, then up at me. "What do you think?"

"For a few minutes, okay?" I cocked an eyebrow, looking right at Anthony. He scowled but nodded his head.

"Ok," agreed Alex, grabbing his bike.

Bella and I slipped on our shoes and coats before following them outside, helping them get their bikes off the porch. I wrapped my arms around Bella, trying to keep her warm while we watched the boys riding their new bikes up and down the sidewalk in front of our new house. She covered my hands with hers, looking up at me, a beautiful smile spread across her face.

"I think Santa did good."

"Santa pretty much rocked this year, I'd say," I chuckled.

After a few more minutes, the boys parked their bikes in the garage and came back in, grumbling about it not being that cold out, even though both of their noses were red. Bella and I settled on the couch while they tore into the rest of their presents, gushing over the new legos, Spiderman toys, and puzzles we got them. The new clothes weren't nearly as exciting, seeing as they just tossed them aside.

Bella laid her head on my shoulder while we watched them play with all their new toys. I knew what she was thinking, we were lucky that we had each other this year. We weren't spending another year alone, or pretending that everything's okay. No, this year, for the first time since Sarah died, I wouldn't be crying myself to sleep at the end of the day. I'd be falling asleep in the arms of my Bella.

"I'm hungry," grumbled Anthony, looking over at us. "What's for breakfast?"

Bella smiled. "I'm feeling like...cinnamon rolls."

"Homemade?" hoped Alex, eyes flying open.

"Like I would make anything other than homemade for my boys," she scoffed, climbing off of the couch. "Get all the trash picked up or you don't get one."

Faster than I thought possible the boys were on their feet, gathering as much wrapping paper and ribbon as they could. I laughed, following them into the kitchen, holding the trash bag for them while they deposited their arms fulls, only to rush into the living room for more. Bella stood in front of the counter with a huge smile on her face. I leaned around, kissing her cheek.

Two hours later, we had managed to eat our weight in homemade cinnamon rolls, and live to tell about it. Bella's rolls, like everything else she made, were delicious. I honestly didn't think there was anything she couldn't make better than my mother, something I would never be able to admit to Esme. The boys had both gotten ready to head over to my parents house, both wearing their new jeans, matching blue and red dress shirts, rather reluctantly but they still wore them.

Bella and I loaded our arms with the gifts we purchased for our family, heading out to her car, loading everything into the back, prepared to spend the day with the rest of our crazy family. The minute I pulled out of the garage, the boys started singing that fucking song Charlie had taught them the day before. One glare from Bella, shut them both up, though.

The roads were a bit icy as I drove across town, but otherwise deserted. Bella rested her hand on my arm, looking out the window. I pulled up in my parents driveway, cutting the engine. The boys were out of their car seats, on their way up to the front of the house before Bella and I had our doors open. Shaking our heads, we gathered everything from the back of the car, headed into the house.

When we walked in, we found the boys sitting in front of the tree with Elliot, counting the presents, searching for ones with their names on them. From the kitchen, I could hear Esme and Carlisle trying to get lunch in the oven, while keeping Emmett out of the goodies. Alice had Ivy in her arms, smiling at the three boys.

She turned and looked over at us, laughing. "Merry Christmas," she cheered. "The boys are just a little bit excited."

"How could you tell?" laughed Bella, setting the pile of gifts on the floor next to the tree. At the sound of her voice, Ivy started fussing, twisting around in Alice's arms. Bella rushed over, pulling our niece into her arms. Ivy stopped fussing, laying her head on Bella's chest.

"Thank you," sighed Alice, bringing her hand up to the back of her neck. "She's teething and was up all night, screaming. Jasper had to work last night, and..."

"Alice," Bella interrupted, reaching out and grabbing her hand.

"What?" she asked, warily.

"Go sit down, I've got her," she insisted. My sister started shaking her head, but Bella pushed her away. "Go. Now. You need to rest, I need snuggle time with her."

"Thanks, Bella," smiled Alice, running her hands through her hair.

"You're welcome," murmured Bella.

Bella looked back at me, smiling before she took off down to the guest room, singing a soft lullaby to Ivy. Bringing my own hand up to my mouth, I tried not to let my imagination get carried away, but it was easy to imagine Bella holding our daughter, singing the same song to her. I felt a hand on my shoulder, looking back, found my mother watching her disappear, too. Leaning up, she kissed my cheek. "Come with me," she ordered, the only way a mother could.

Following her, we headed upstairs to my parents bedroom. Sitting on the side of her bed, she lifted a large box, placing it in her lap, motioning for me to sit next to her, which I did. Smiling, she turned toward me, shifting the box into my hands. I looked up at her, questioning her silently.

"Open it," she giggled, gesturing to the box.

Pulling on the red satin ribbon, I let it fall to the floor before pulling the lid off the box. Nestled inside the box was a brown leather photo album. I lifted it out, letting the box fall to the floor with the ribbon. Flipping open the cover, I gasped, bringing my free hand up to my mouth. On the first page laid a picture of me, Bella, and the boys, sitting on the front porch of our new house. Bella's head rested on my shoulder, eyes closed, my head leaned against hers. Alex perched in my lap, Anthony in hers, both with huge smiles.

Looking up at my mother, I felt my lips trembling. "When did you take this?"

"A few weeks ago," she smiled. "When I developed them, I knew it'd be the perfect picture for the first page."

"You're shooting again?" I wondered.

"A few here and there," she shrugged, acting like it wasn't a big deal, but it was huge. "I still can't see the way I used to, but I've enjoyed being behind the camera again."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Esme's smile grew, she brushed a tear off her face. "Because I wanted to keep it to myself for just a while longer. I don't think I would have been able to do it, if Bella hadn't encouraged me."

"She did? How?" I reached over, taking my mother's hand in mine.

Esme lifted the album from my hands, placing it in her lap and started flipping through it. She stopped on a page with a picture of Bella laying on the couch with Alex and Anthony tucked into her arms. I remembered the day. We'd just gotten Alex home from the hospital, he'd been hurting from the three hour car ride. Bella insisted that he lay down with her, and Anthony climbed up, laying on her side, while Alex laid on the couch next to her. It hadn't taken the three of them more than two minutes to fall asleep. I needed to run out to the store to get food, so my mother volunteered to stay, in case Bella needed help.

"She's an amazing woman, Edward, strong, dedicated to her family. The moment I saw them laying on the couch together, I thought back to when I was sick." She paused, looking up at me, tears pouring down her face. "I let my anger take over. By doing so, I nearly lost all of you. I gave up my passion, convinced that I'd never be able to be the woman I was before the cancer. I'll never be her again, I know that, but I can be the woman I am now, passionate about my family, finding my love for photography again."

"You've always been her, Mom," I smiled, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. "I've never really told you, but I couldn't have made it through the last few years without you and dad. Anthony and I..." I let my words go, shaking my head. "We did the best we could, but without you, Em and Rose, Ali and Jas, we'd have been lost," I muttered.

"It was difficult, watching you wallow away from Sarah," admitted Esme. "She sacrificed her life for him, she didn't want you to give up on life, either."

"I know, but it was hard," I whimpered.

"Of course, it was, but, darling, she sent Bella and Alex to you two." Esme reached up, brushing the tears off my checks.

"You really think she sent them to us?" I sniffed.

"I do," she giggled. "I'd better get downstairs before your father burns something. Take all the time you need, darling boy. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Mom," I smiled. "Love you."

"I love you, too."

Kissing my forehead, she left me alone, only the brown leather album to keep me company. I flipped through the pages that held memories of our four months together. Bella cheering the boys on during soccer, Alex and Anthony playing in the leaves at Thanksgiving, Me and the boys laying on the couch watching spiderman for the umpteenth time, both of them enthralled with the movie, Bella laying her head on my chest, arms wrapped around me, mine mirroring hers. Each picture held smiles, laughter, hugs, and kisses, the little moments that turned us into a family.

"There you are." I looked up at Bella came in, breathtaking smile on her face. "What are you looking at?"

"A gift from my mom," I replied, taking her hand when she sat next to me. Sliding the album onto her lap, I showed her the first picture.

An airy gasp slipped out between her lips, she brought her hand up, fighting back the tears in her eyes. Tracing her fingers over the eight by ten picture, looking up at me. "She took these, didn't she?"

"Yes," I murmured. "She credits you for inspiring her."

"Me?" snorted Bella.

"You," I laughed. "I know it's true. You've got me taking real pictures instead of hiding behind family portraits."

"That wasn't me," she disagreed. "You made that decision on your own."

"No, I made it because you challenged me to stop hiding."

"Only because you told me to stop writing porn," she scoffed. Looking up at me, she blushed. "She's an amazing photographer."

"She is," I smiled. "I love that she's finding her passion again."

"Me too," she murmured, flipping to he next page.

Bella flipped through each page, memorizing every details, wiping away a few stray tears. I wrapped my arm around her waist, watching as she smiled, laughing at various memories. Closing the album, she looked up at me, smiling. Leaning in, she kissed me, took my hand on hers. "Come on, let's join our family."

Heading back downstairs, Bella dropped my hand, walking straight to my mother, hugging her. Both women cried when she thanked Esme for the gift. Carlisle smiled, turning back to our sons, who watched with worry on their faces. Alex especially, seeing how protective he was of his mother, seemed very concerned.

"Let's get these presents passed out," suggested Carlisle, moving over to the tree. Alex turned, looking at him. "She's fine, I promise."

"Okay," he grumbled, taking the present being offered.

Bella managed to stop her tears, settling on the couch next to me. Emmett and Rose sat on the floor with Elliot, Jasper and Alice, next to them, Ivy perched in her lap. Esme pulled her camera out, started snapping picture after picture of the boys passing out presents, capturing each moment.

The boys tore into their presents, cheering at the pile of toys my parents got them. Ivy enjoyed playing with the boxes more than the dolls, which we all thought was funny. Emmett and Rose received a gift card to redo their kitchen, something they've been saving to do for almost a year. Jasper and Alice received an ornament marking their first year with Ivy, a tradition in our family, along with a gift card for each of them to their favorite stores.

Moving over to me and Bella, Esme sat down next to her, holding out a small box. "This is for you, dear."

"Oh, Esme, you shouldn't have," muttered Bella, blushing.

"I didn't," she whispered, peaking over to Carlisle.

My father ducked his head, his own face heating up. Bella opened the small gift, gasping. Slowly lifting the small crystal snowflake, with both her and Alex's names on it, she looked over at him. "Carlisle?"

"When Rose came into our family, I had one made for her," he explained, standing up, pulling off her ornament off the tree. "We did the same for Jasper." Carlisle looked back at her. "Sarah has one, too. This year, I wanted you and Alex to have your place on our tree, as members of our family. You both belong here on our tree."

Bella stood up, walking over to the tree. Her hands shook as she reached up, placing the ornament next to the one with Sarah's name on it. Moving her fingers over, she traced the small engravings that spelled out their names. Letting her fingers drop, she looked over at my father, whispering, "Thank you."

"Welcome to the family," he smiled, reaching out and hugging her. Bella brought her arms up, wrapping them around my father, I fought the tears building in my eyes.

Esme patted my hand before she stood up, clearing her throat, drawing everyone's attention. "I think we need a family Christmas picture."

Emmett, Alice, and Rose groaned, but Esme told them to stuff it. We gathered in front of the large, sparkling Christmas tree; me, Emmett, and Jasper in the back next to Carlisle. Rose, Alice, and Bella, standing in front of us. The boys stood in front of Bella, while Elliot stood in front of Rose, both women wrapping their arms around the boys. Alice held Ivy in front of her, adjusting the headband on her head. Esme got her camera on her tripod, setting the timer, before moving over and standing in front of my father. As the light in front flashed, we all smiled, the camera clicked taking the first of what would be many family Christmas portraits.

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews over the last chapter. I apologize now for the lack of updates over the few weeks, but I've been working on my book, and I have to write what I feel. I promise you now, that I will not be giving up on any of my stories, they just might be taking a little longer to complete. We've got about three more chapters, then I will be working on the sequel. Also, I'll apologize now for the lack of review replies. 's link is messed up, and the only way I can reply is through PM's. I will do my best to reply to all of them.**


	44. Chapter 44

**BPOV**

I rushed through the house, looking for my missing shoe. How I'd managed to lose one of my black heels, was beyond me. I hadn't worn them since the last meeting I had with Aro Volturi back in November, and now, when I had another engagement with him, I couldn't find the blasted shoe. Walking through the living room, I saw the boys sitting on the couch, pouting. They didn't want to wear suits to the party tonight, claiming they were uncomfortable. Well, if I had to wear heels, then they had to wear suits. Seemed fair to me.

"You two don't worry about helping me find my shoe," I grumbled, limping through the room.

They muttered something along the lines of hoping I never found it so we didn't have to go, but I ignored them. We had to go. Tonight was only one of the biggest night in my career. Aro Volturi didn't often invite authors to his house for dinner, and he certainly didn't throw cocktail parties to introduce them to the literary world like he was doing for me tonight. Oh, my stomach rolled at the mere thought of being in a room full of people gawking at my book.

"Where in the hell is my stupid shoe!" I yelled, stomping my foot.

"Looking for this?" Edward smirked when he strolled into the kitchen, holding my heel on the tip of his index finger.

"Where?" I demanded, holding onto his shoulder while I slipped it onto my foot.

"In the hamper in the bathroom," he laughed. "I think a couple of little boys were hoping they'd get to stay home if they hid it."

I snorted. "Too bad it didn't work," I muttered, walking out of the room. Gesturing to the boys, I picked up my purse off the coffee table. "Let's go."

"Fine," sighed Alex, standing up. "If we have to."

"You have to," replied Edward, pulling Anthony up by his arms. Placing his hands on his hips, just inside the jacket of his suit, I melted a little on the inside. My fiance was sexy. "Now, before we leave, let's go over the rules."

"Dad, we've gone over the rules at least ten times today." Anthony threw his hands up, "We know them backward and forward, maybe even sideways."

Edward only had to say one phrase to get their attention, "No Disney Land."

The boys gasped, stumbling backward like Edward had just backhanded them. I'd have to thank Emmett for teaching them this little act, but if they wanted to spend the week after the wedding with Carlisle and Esme in Disney Land, then they'd learn to obey the rules right now.

"Dad," they whined together.

"Rule one," he ignored them.

"Don't touch anything," they grumbled, folding their arms in front of their chests.

"Rule two?" I pressed, raising a single eyebrow.

"Don't fart." This time they rolled their eyes, but last month we'd let them spend the weekend with Emmett and Elliott while Rose was out of town. They came back with this new farting game that had gotten out of control. There had been an incident at school, and, well, we'd just banned it completely.

"And rule three?" Edward looked between them.

Shaking their heads, they dropped their eyes to the ground. "Don't listen to what Grandpa tells us to do."

"Good, let's go," I cheered, ignoring the two of them when they rolled their eyes again.

We headed out, loading into my car. I let Edward drive, knowing that my nerves were already getting the best of me. The last place I needed to be would be behind the wheel of car. I looked back, making sure the boys had buckled up in their booster seats, glaring at Alex when he went to mess his hair up. I'd spent the better part of an hour trying to get it to lay flat. He complained that he looked stupid, but I knew he just liked having his hair look like Edward's.

Turning back to the front, I reached over and grabbed Edward's hand, taking a deep breath. Today, being the first of May, marked a huge milestone for me and my career. My book was ready to be released, and I'd no longer be known as Mallory Marie, but Isabella Swan. At least in the literary world. Shifting my gaze over to Edward, I smiled. In two weeks, I'd be Isabella Cullen, his wife.

Edward pulled up in front of Volturi Publishing ten minutes later. He rushed around, pulling my door open and offering me a hand. Blushing, I let him help me out of the car, trying not to squeeze his hand too tightly. Once the boys were out, Edward handed the keys over to the valet, and we headed inside, trying to prepare of the biggest night of my life. The boys, each holding onto one of our hands, gaped, uttering a whispered, "Whoa," when we walked in, and they caught eye of the large water fountain in the lobby. Smiling, I knew they'd love seeing it. Dozens of people were mulling around the lobby, holding copies of my book, and murmuring about me. My face would be permanently red before the night ended. Releasing our hands, the boys laughed, rushing over to where Charlie stood with Sue Clearwater. Their friendship, as he referred to it, had taken off just after the new year. I teased him, but nothing made me happier than knowing my father wasn't alone. In so many ways, we'd both let go of a lot of baggage this year.

"Oh my god," he gasped, mocking me. "It's Isabella Swan. The Isabella Swan. I wonder if she'd give me her autograph?"

I laughed, hugging him. "I might," I teased. "Depends on how you behave." Stepping back, I gave him the same look I'd given the boys. "Do we need to go over the rules?"

"No," he grumbled, looking down at Alex and Anthony, winking. Shaking my head, I let it go, looking over at Sue. He's her problem now.

"You've got your hands full with him, Sue," I giggled.

Charlie huffed, but Sue laughed with me, laying her hand on his arm. "Trust me, Bella, I've got him under control."

I knew she did. Edward placed his hand on the small of my back, letting his fingers graze over the exposed skin. Shivering, I adjusted my body, facing him. A loud shriek caught my attention, and I looked over my shoulder. Tanya came bouncing over, impressive since she wore six inch heels, with a huge, beautiful smile covering her face. She'd been even more excited about tonight than me. She'd claim it's because of my so-called success, but I knew that it had more to do with finally getting to meet Edward and Anthony.

"Isabella," she squealed, pushing Edward out of the way so she could hug me. "You look so beautiful!"

"Thank you," I laughed, stumbling backward a few steps. Edward's hand flew to the small of my back, I shivered again. Tanya, stepping back, grinned even bigger. Nudging me in the ribs with her elbow, she tilted her head toward him. "Tanya Denali, met Edward Cullen, my fiance."

"It's nice to finally," glaring at me, "meet you, Edward." She thrusted her hand at him. Edward laughed, shaking her hand. "I was starting to think she'd just made you up."

"No, I'm real," he chuckled, slipping his arm around my waist, looking down at me.

"Where's my boy?" demanded Tanya, placing her hands on her hips, shifting her eyes down to Alex. "That can not be my boy. He's too big!"

"Tanya." Alex stepped around us, hugging her around the waist. "It's me, Alex."

"No, you can't be Alex," she teased. "He's a little boy, and you're a big kid."

"It is me," he snorted. "You're just getting old. Grandpa said so."

"Alex," exclaimed Charlie, we all looked back at him.

"Charlie?" Tanya folded her arms in front of her, cocking her perfectly shaped eyebrow at him. "Did you say that I'm old?"

"No," he cautioned. Before Alex could correct him, he added, "I said you were getting older. Big difference. Huge, really."

Hiding behind my hand, I giggled, watching my father dig himself a bigger hole. I loved the man, but he had no clue how to get himself out of a jam. Tanya rolled her blue eyes, shifting her eyes back down to Alex. Behind me, Charlie sighed in relief.

"Oh, Charlie, you're lucky I'm in a good mood," snickered Tanya. She shifted her eyes to Anthony. "You must be Anthony. Your mom's told me so much about you." She smiled, holding her hand out to him.

Flicking his eyes over to mine, I nodded, telling him it's okay for him to take her hand. Nibbling on his lip, he placed his hand in hers, but scooted closer to me. Shyly, he whispered. "Hi."

Lifting her eyes to me, she smiled, "I wonder, Anthony, if your mom and dad would let me take you two over and get some ice cream," She spoke in soft tones, directing her words to him, but we all heard her. Anthony's eyes lit up, he looked up at me.

"Can we, Momma?" he begged.

I placed my finger over my lips, pretending to think about it. "I don't know," I sighed. "I mean, you two had to wear those horrible suits, right?"

"They're not that bad," he insisted, pushing his bottom lips out. Charlie laughed.

"Please, Mommy?" whimpered Alex, faking crying.

"Oh God," I groaned. "Fine, but only a little, Tanya."

"Yes," she cheered, clapping her hands. Taking both of their hands, she led them away. "You're going to have to teach me that pout. She never lets me have fun."

"Grandpa told us she's a sucker for it," replied Alex, shrugging his shoulders.

Looking back at my father, I narrowed my eyes. He flinched. "I'll get you back, old man. Mark my words."

Charlie opened his mouth to defend himself, but by placing my hand up, I stopped him. Edward, stifling his laughter, rested his hand on the small of my back, leading me away from them. I wasn't mad at Charlie, but I loved messing with his mind. I knew he'd spend the majority of the evening trying to figure out what my plan would be for him.

Leading me over to the huge display of my books, Edward picked one up, flipping to the inside flap, and began reading, "Thrown into a world of make believe, Caroline never knew her destiny lied in a lost prophecy, and secret societies. Will love be enough to help her do the impossible? A new novel by Isabella Swan, the sexist woman ever to walk the earth."

"It doesn't say that," I giggled, pulling the book out of his hand. Slipping his arms around my waist, he leaned in, kissing just below my ear.

"It's still the truth," he growled. I shuddered. He laughed. I wanted him. "Will you still love me when you're a best selling author?"

"No, I'm going to leave you for the first handsome man who smiles at me," I teased. Narrowing his eyes at me, Edward scowled. I brought my hand up to his face. "I'm never going to stop love you, Edward. You're my everything."

"I love you, Isabella," he murmured, kissing me.

A cleared throat, pulled our attention. We looked over, finding Aro Volturi standing a few feet away, amused smile playing on his lips. Next to him stood three men, all trying to fight their own smiles. Blushing, I dropped my hand, turning to face them, prepared to apologize, but before I could, Aro held up his hand.

"Isabella, don't even think about apologizing," he smirked. I clamped my mouth closed. "Good girl. I'd like to introduce you to a few of my dear friends, Eleazar Stevens, Caius Romans, and Demetri Romanov."

Of course I knew who all three of them were. Eleazar Stevens' column in the New York Times held his opinion on the best of the best. Every aspiring author wanted a place in his column, but few ever found themselves on his list. In his mission statement, he vowed never to print a bad review. If he didn't like your writing, he just didn't promote you.

Caius Romans owned and operated a chain of bookstores that blew Barnes and Noble, Borders, and every other chain out of the water. He didn't just allow any book to sit on his shelves, having earned the right to be particular over who he endorsed. Getting to see your hard work sitting on his shelves, made every struggle worth pushing through.

Then there was Demetri Romanov. When looking for someone to take you beyond the conventional and leading you down a path that would take you from mediocre to being inspirational, he's the man you wanted to lead you. Rumor had it that he'd been so selective about who he took under his wing, that some of the so called biggest names in the literary world tried to bribe his services. He couldn't be bought, though.

"It's an honor to meet all of you," I stammered, feeling my breath catch in my chest. Tightening his arm around my waist, Edward reminded me that he supported me. "I'm Isabella Swan, but I suppose you knew that already."

"Yes," laughed Eleazar, taking my hand, bringing it to his lips. "But it's still an honor, Ms. Swan."

"Please call me Isabella," I breathed, pulling my hand back.

"Isabella," he smiled, nodding his head. "I'm sure I speak for the others when I say that we were very impressed with the tidbits from your book that we've managed to wrangle out of Aro."

"Impressed would be putting it mildly," chuckled Demetri, throwing his head back. "I, for one, will be first in line to buy it when it hits the stores."

"Oh, wow, um, thank you." I blushed, I knew I did.

"Just make sure you purchase it at my store," scoffed Caius. My mouth bounced off the floor. "Don't look so surprised, Isabella. Surely, you know just how amazing your book is? If I'm being honest, and I am, it's a relief to see you finally writing to your potential."

I didn't know what to say. Instead, I stood there, face heating under their watchful eyes, and trying not to pass out, or even worse, throw up. Aro smiled, shaking his head. "Isabella, breathe."

I released the breath I'd been holding. "I'm sorry," I murmured, bringing my free hand up to my chest. My eyes burned with tears. Never once did I think my book would end up in Caius Romans' book store. Knowing that Edward was here, made it all that much better. "I never expected this. Ever."

"What did I tell you?" Aro shook his head. "Modest to the bone."

"You were right," admitted Eleazar, grinning, shifting his eyes back to mine. "Dear, you're going to pass out if you don't breathe."

I laughed, but it came choppy, full of nerves. "Sorry."

"You apologize a lot," commented Demetri. "We're going to have to work on that."

"Excuse me?" Confusion rolled over me.

"You," pointing at me, " and I," pointing to himself, "are going to have to work on your constant need to apologize," he explained. All I could do was stare at him. He looked over at Edward. "Is she okay?"

"She's a little overwhelmed," he murmured. I shifted my gaze over to him. Smiling, he brought his hand up to my face. "Isabella, Demetri wants to work with you on your tour."

I felt my mouth fall open when I turned back to the large man. "Get the fuck out," I snorted, throwing my hand up to my mouth, horrified.

Demetri, however, threw his head back, laughing. "Oh, you're going to be a lot of fun." He shook his head, bringing his hand up to his mouth. "We can meet later and discuss all the details, but I'm really looking forward to our partnership, Isabella. I need to head out now, but it's been an honor to meet you."

Turning to Aro, Demetri told him that he'd be in contract next week about getting everything settled. Smiling back at me once more, he left, taking Caius and Eleazar with him. Perhaps, Aro could tell that the last five minutes of my life had sent me on an emotional roller coaster, but he excused himself, suggesting to Edward that I might need to a breath of fresh air.

Placing his hand on my back, he took Aro's suggestion, and lead me through a side door, with led to a small patio. I turned back to him the moment the door closed behind us, bringing my hand back up to my chest, trying not to cry. I hadn't worn waterproof mascara tonight.

"Are you okay?" He reached out, pulling my hand from my chest. "For a moment, I thought you were going to be sick."

"So did I." I smiled, letting him hold me. From inside of the building, we could hear the soft music. Without thinking, we started dancing. "I'm in shock, I think. Caius Romans' is going to sell my book."

"I know," he chuckled. "You shouldn't be surprised, baby. Your writing's spectacular. I've been trying to tell you that for six months now."

"You're a little biased," I scoffed. He stopped dancing, stroking my cheek lightly.

"I am," he admitted, "but that doesn't mean that I'm not right."

Leaning into his hand, my eyes slid shut, "Edward," I breathed.

"I'm so proud of you, baby," he whispered, brushing his lips across mine. "You're putting yourself out there, the real you. And you're making it."

"So are you," I murmured.

"Because of you," he closed the distance, pressing his lips back down onto mine.

After a few minutes, we headed back inside. Tanya had the boys next to the fountain, kneeling down, watching the water shoot up, only to fall back down in beautiful waves. With the orange lighting underneath, the water looked orange. Looking over her shoulder, Tanya smiled, leaning over and whispering to the boys. They turned and waved at us, both smiling bigger than ever.

For the next few hours, Edward and I mingled amongst critics, book sellers, competing publishers, and other members of the literary world. I smiled, thanked them all for coming, trying to keep myself from fangirling over my favorite author, Michele Richard. Pretty certain she saw straight through me, but had the grace to ignore my trembling hand when I introduced myself to her.  
Edward stayed by my side all night, always keeping his hand on my back, or holding my elbow. A small gesture to remind me that he had my back, he'd support me in everything I did. I hoped that he knew I'd do anything and everything for him, too. Having him with me while I took this giant leap was about the only thing keeping me from losing sight of why I'd spent so many nights locked away in my office, letting the story find it's way out of my head and onto my computer.

Just before eleven, Edward and I found the boys curled up on the small sofas toward the back, with Tanya sitting next to them, watching them sleep. She looked up when we came up, smiling. "They're great little boys, Isabella."

"They certainly are," I agreed, reaching down to lift Alex into my arms. He muttered something about the water, wrapping his arms and legs around me. Edward picked Anthony up, laughing when he grumbled about needing five more minutes. "Tanya, thank you for keeping them entertained tonight. I know it's not your job..."

"Let me stop you right there, sweet cheeks," she snorted, standing up. "I had the best time tonight with them, seeing the world from their eyes." She shook her head, "You're very lucky."

"I know," I murmured, leaning over and kissing her cheek. "Thanks, T."

"You're welcome," she whispered. "And, um, Edward seems really nice."

"He is."

Edward and I headed out, catching up with Charlie and Sue. We chatted for a few minutes while the valet pulled our cars around. Hugging my father the best I could, I promised to call him soon. We loaded the boys up in the car and headed home. The night had been perfect, better than I ever expected.

Somehow, we managed to get the boys into the house and into bed, changing them into their pajamas. Kissing each of their foreheads, I turned on their lava lamp, and closed the door, following Edward down the hallway to our bedroom. Kicking off my heels, I sighed, digging my toes into the plush carpet.

Snaking his arms around my waist, Edward leaned down, pressing his lips to the side of my neck. I moaned, tilting my head to side, giving him more access. "Did I tell you that you look amazing tonight?" he whispered.

"No," I gasped.

"You do," he nipped at my skin. "So amazing."

"Edward." My body tingled, his hands leaving a trail of goose bumps behind when he slid them up my arms.

Reaching down, he lowered the zipper to my simple black cocktail dress, letting the straps fall off my shoulders. Releasing it, the dress dropped to the floor, pooling at my feet. I stepped out of the dress, turning to face him. His eyes shifted down the length of my body, pausing when he reached the black lace strapless bra, and matching panties that hugged my hips.

Lifting his eyes up to mine, he grinned, licking his lips, "Baby, if I'd known you were wearing those under your dress, I'd have found us an empty office."

My blush covered my entire body. He groaned. "I wish you had," I smirked, walking over the bed. I crawled on top, looking back at him. His eyes were glued to my ass. "Baby, my eyes are over here."

"I know," he growled, ripping his shirt open, sending buttons flying across the room. I laughed, laying back on the bed. I slid my hand up my thigh, moving at a slow, torturous pace. Edward watched my fingers with bated breath. "Baby."

"Yes, lover?" I purred, slipping my fingers inside my panties, cupping myself. Edward abandoned his shirt, moving straight for his pants, battling with his belt.

"Take them off," he all but begged.

"What?" I smirked, breathing hard.

"Your motherfucking panties." He ripped his belt out, throwing it onto the floor. "Now."

I shivered, his need for me lacing each word. Teasing him, I lowered my panties, slowly. His eyes dropped right down to my wet sex, tongue sliding along his bottom lip. Throwing my panties at him, he caught them, dropping them onto my dress. Bringing my hand back down between my legs, I moaned, rubbing against my lips.

"Oh, fuck, baby," he muttered, watching me touch myself.

"Do you like when I touch myself?" I wondered, chest heaving. Parting my wet folds, I slipped a finger inside, gasping.

"Holy..." Edward trailed off, ripping his pants off, throwing them across the room. Landing on the dresser, they caused one of our pictures to fall, the glass cracking. Neither of us cared. Crossing the room, he climbed on the bed, ripping my finger out, replacing it with his tongue. My back arched off the bed, I barely managed not to scream out. Damn, he had a good tongue.

Edward made the most sensational sounds while lapping at me, enjoying the taste of me, devouring as much of me as he could. Wrapping his arms around my thighs, he lifted me off the bed, plunging his tongue even deeper into me. I threaded my fingers in his hair, guiding him, whimpering under him. Bracing myself with my arms, I could already feel my orgasm building, burning inside of me. Panting, I pulled his hair, releasing harder than I had before. Leaning up, he thrust his tongue into my mouth, and I moaned, tasting myself. Lifting my legs up around his waist, he filled me, resting his hips against mine. Moaning into his mouth, I let him set the pace, giving myself over to him body, heart, and soul.

He moved too slow, pulling all the way out, before sheathing himself in me again. Kneading my thighs, he kept my legs around his waist. Every time he left me, I whimpered, needing to feel him inside of me again. Every time he came back to me, I cried out, joyful to have him again. Over and over, our bodies met, covered in sweet sweat. Throwing my hand up, I braced myself on our headboard, panting when Edward increased his pace, taking me harder, faster, and deeper, yet not deep enough. I needed more, so much more.

"Baby, oh, baby," he murmured, dropping his head onto my shoulder, nipping my flesh with his teeth. "So fucking good, all the fucking time."

"Edward," I pleaded, needing something, but not able to find the words to beg for it. "Please!"

"What, baby?" he groaned. "What do you need?"

"More," I cried out, "just more!"

Sliding his arm under my body, he lifted me off the bed completely, falling back on his heels. Throwing my arms around him, I sank further down onto him, locking my feet around him. Edward slid his hand down to my ass, digging his fingers into my cheeks, while moving his other hand up to my hair, fisting my long locks. Tugging hard, he pulled my head back. The mixture of pleasure and pain caused my body to explode, clamping down on him, suckling him deeper into me. With a handful of thrusts, Edward found his own release, stilling his hips against mine, cursing under his breath.

Falling back onto the bed, we laid there, trying to catch our breaths, chests heaving. Looking over at him, I saw him watching me with a huge smile, shirt still covering his shoulders. Laughing, I rolled over, laying my head on his chest. "I love you, baby."

"I love you, too," he murmured. "Only two more weeks."

"Two more," I echoed, smiling.

**Thank you for all the reviews. I love reading each and everyone of them, even if I haven't replied. I really don't like this new reply system has, but what can you do, right? I'll try to do better, I promise. Two more chapters in this little story, and then we head toward the sequel. Thinking it's going to be called 'Moving Forward'. What do you think?**

**Oh, Michele Richard is seriously one of my favorite new writers. You can get her book, 'Mocked by Destiny', at Amazon, , TWCS publishing house, and, now, Barnes and Noble online. Check her out. She's truly amazing, and is rumored to have another one coming out in August. I for one can't wait to read it.**

**Now comes the begging and pleading. As I've mentioned a few times, I've been working on an original novel, or two. I've entered them both into a contest that The Writer's Coffee Shop Library is hosting in their quest to start a new Romance Series. Angel's Heart is a supernatural romance, and What Should Have Been is a Tragic Romance. I would love if you all would head over and cheek them out for me. I'm ButterflyBetty over there, too, and it would warm my heart of you would be so kind. Also, make sure you check out That Summer by busymommy, which is also part of the same contest. She's amazing, and I'm so lucky to call her my friend. If you haven't checked out her fics, go do so now. Seriously, she's amazing, and I love her so much.**


	45. Chapter 45

**EPOV**

I stood in the back of the large, open room, watching everyone mill around, celebrating together. The sound of smooth classical music filled the air, the smell of blue roses wafted through the dimly lit room. Raising my glass of water to my lips, I took a small sip, finding the person I'd been looking for standing clear on the other side of the room. My beautiful Bella, the woman who would become my wife in less than twenty-four hours.

Standing with Alice, Rose, Kate, and Angela around her, she laughed at something Kate said, throwing her head back, and placing her hand over her lips. Her face lit up, cheeks warming to a soft, rose pink, but her eyes stood out the most. They sparkled, shimmering with happiness. Feeling my eyes on her, she looked over, blushing a deeper shade, letting a wider smiled spread across her face, before leaning toward Alice and whispering something in her ear, causing her to giggle.

"Dude, have you seen your son?" chuckled Emmett, drawing my attention from Bella by laying his hand on my shoulder.

I followed his gaze and found Anthony standing in the middle of the dance floor, hands resting on Mattie's waist, shuffling his feet from side to side. I laughed, shaking my head at how awkward he looked. Shifting my eyes to the right, I saw Alex dancing with Anna, focusing on the music, but smiling at the dark haired girl in front of him.

"A couple of little of Casanovas," I snickered, shifting my eyes back over to Bella. Shifting between her feet, she brought her hand down, smoothing out the soft, silk of her mauve cocktail dress, which rested just above her knee, and hugged her curves. She looked incredible.

"You weren't like this with Sarah," he commented, speaking somberly. Inhaling a sharp breath, I turned, facing him. He smiled. "I'm not saying you didn't love her, because I know you did. You still do, but you never watched her the way you watch Bella."

Shifting my eyes over to her, I felt my ears heat up. She lifted her hand, wiggling a few fingers at me, and gesturing to to the where the boys were. "Sarah was everything to me," I murmured, tears burning the corners of my eyes.

"She was," agreed Emmett.

"But she's not now," I admitted, shifting my eyes over to Anthony. "I'll always love her, she gave me Anthony." Setting my glass on the table behind me, I smiled. "However, Bella and Alex gave me and Anthony something we both were missing."

"What's that?" he questioned.

Smiling, I looked over at him, "This will sound so cliché, but they completed us."

Placing my hand on his shoulder for a moment, I left my older brother standing with a goofy smile spread over his face, and headed over to where Bella stood, waiting for me. Slipping my arms around her waist, I pressed my lips down onto hers before she could say anything. Her lips curved up around mine when she smiled, kissing me back.

"Hello to you, too," she giggled, letting her hands rest on my chest. "I missed you."

"I missed you more," I murmured, kissing her again. The feeling of our lips together, my hands on her body, my arms holding her as tight as I could, would never get old. I'd never get enough of her, either. Not just her body, but her heart, soul, her soft laughter, and her warm smile.

Giggling against my lips, she pulled back, bringing her hand up to the nape of my neck, weaving her fingers into my hair, wearing a sensual smile, "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing," I chuckled, holding her tighter. Bringing my lips down to her ear, I whispered, "Dance with me."

"I'd love to," she breathed.

Slipping my hand into hers, I led her out to the dance floor, bringing our joined hands up to my chest, and wrapping my other arm around her waist, pulling her closer to me. Bella moved her arm around my shoulders, letting her hand rest on the back of my neck. Slowly finding the rhythm, we started moving to the music. Everyone around us faded away, leaving the two of us wrapped away in our bubble.

"How much longer?" she giggled, running her fingers through my hair.

"Twenty-two hours, fifty-one minutes, and," looking at my watch from over her shoulder. "thirty seconds. Not that I'm counting down or anything."

She laughed, "Not counting at all." Sighing, she laid her head on my chest. "So much has happened."

"Yeah," I whispered, laying my head down on hers. Bella's fingers massaged my scalp, I shivered against her.

Losing ourselves in the moment, neither of us realized that the song had changed, or that Elliott stood behind me, fiddling with his fingers. Clearing his throat, he pulled our attention to him, smiling when he tugged on the collar of his dress shirt.

"Aunt Bella, would you like to dance?" he mumbled, dropping his eyes to the floor. Trying hard not to laugh, I looked over at Bella, noticing her blush warming her cheeks.

"I'd love to dance, Elliott," she replied, slipping her arms away from me. Holding her hand out to him, she continued, "Shall we?"

Only one word could describe the smile that popped up on his face; euphoric. Grabbing her hand, Elliott let her lead him a few steps away, and placed his hand high up on her waist, laying her hand on his shoulder. Smiling to myself, I walked over, sitting down at one of the many tables surrounding the dance floor, and watched my fiance dancing with my nephew.

"I think he's got a crush," laughed Rose, sliding into the seat next to me, crossing her legs. I chuckled, looking over at her. "But don't all the Cullen boys love her?"

"We do," I admitted, leaning back.

"She's good for you, Edward," commented Rose, angling her body toward me. I shifted my gaze back over to Bella. "You don't even know how miserable you were before you met her and Alex."

"Um, wow," I snorted, turning to her. "You think I don't know?"

"Do you?" she countered, raising an eyebrow. "Emmett used to worry so much about you and Anthony. You can never tell him I told you, but he would cry at night because he knew you were hurting. He wanted to help you, but he couldn't."

Closing my eyes, I sighed, "I know, Rose, but I couldn't just..." My words hung in the air, I opened my eyes and looked over at Bella, feeling my eyes stinging. "God, I was so lonely. Every morning, I'd wake up and reach across the bed for Sarah, only to find her side of the bed cold. Even though it felt like my chest would explode from the pain, I manage to get out of bed, and go through the day. She was always there, inside my heart and..." I ran my hand over my face, before I turned back to Rose. "I did the best I could."

"I know," she murmured, taking my hand.

"You don't," I frowned. "It hurt everyday. Then I met Bella, and, suddenly, I found myself smiling and laughing. Really smiling and laughing, not faking it all the time. I'd wake up in the morning, and instead of telling myself to breathe, I would just...breathe. Sound silly, I know."

"No, it doesn't." Rose reached up, wiping away a tear. "Sarah would have loved her."

I nodded, "She would. They would have been great friends."

Rose leaned over, kissing my cheek, "I'm happy for you, Edward, and for Anthony."

Leaving me sitting there, Rose headed over to Bella and Elliott, insisting her son danced with her. Bella laughed, watching him grumble. She turned toward me, taking a tentative step, but stopped when Charlie came up behind her. Giving me a look, she turned to face him. Whatever he said to her, caused her to laugh, covering her mouth again with her hand. Charlie held his hand out to her, which she took, and they started dancing. Shaking my head, I leaned back in my seat, crossing my feet.

"You look like you need a drink," giggled Alice, sitting next to me, holding out a flute of champagne.

"Thanks," I smiled, taking the glass, but not drinking. "Are you having a good time?"

"Yes," Alice sipped on her drink. "Been awhile since we had a night away from Ivy."

"She's getting so big," I chuckled, thinking about the little girl.

"Now that she's mobile, we can't keep her out of anything," grumbled Alice. "We had to pack up everything from the waist down so she didn't break it or get hurt."

I laughed, not feeling much empathy for her. When Anthony started walking, she teased me about always chasing him, trying to keep him out of everything. Shifting my eyes over to where he stood with Alex, I smiled; he was worth every moment I spent chasing him. "Enjoy her while she's little, Ali. They grow up fast."

"Seems like just yesterday Anthony was waddling around everywhere," she commented, bringing her hand up to her chest, playing with the gold locket Jasper bought her for Ivy's first birthday.

"It does," I agreed, shifting around in my seat.

"You getting nervous yet, big brother?" smirked Alice, placing her empty glass on the table behind us.

"Why would I be nervous?" I snorted, looking over at Bella. She and Charlie were still dancing, laughing together. "I'm terrified, Ali."

"Of what?" she whispered, hooking her arm in with mine.

"Losing her, Alex, or Anthony," I whimpered, closing my eyes. "I wouldn't be able to live if I lost any of them."

"Oh, Edward." She took a deep, shaky breath.

Opening my eyes, I smiled. "I'm being silly."

"No, you're not, but you won't lose them."

"I want to believe you, Alice, but we both know that I could," I muttered. "After Sarah..." I trailed off, dropping my eyes to the floor. "I never believed she would actually die. We knew what the doctors told us, but I never thought...When Anthony was born, she tried so hard, but the strain of carrying him..."

"Stop, Edward," murmured Alice, laying her head on my shoulder. "Just focus on how happy you are right now. Focus on your sons, and your wife."

"My wife," I smiled. Leaning over, I kissed my sister's forehead, "Love you, Ali."

Leaving Alice sitting there, I headed out to where my soon-to-be wife was dancing with her father. Tapping him on the shoulder, I cleared my throat, "May I cut in?"

Charlie let out a low, rumbling laugh as he turned, facing me. "Guess I can let you, since you're gonna take care of my little girl for the rest of her life."

"Daddy," muttered Bella, face heating up. So beautiful.

"Thank you, sir," I smirked, winking at my fiance.

"Oh, god," groaned Charlie, pushing his way past me. "I'm not old enough to see that kind of thing."

Bella brought her hand up, covering her mouth when she started laughing. Reaching over, I pulled her hand down from her lips, laying it against my chest, closing the distances between us. Wrapping my other arm around her waist, I managed to bring myself even closer to her, holding her as tight as I could, needing to be closer to her, but never quite close enough.

"I thought I'd never get back to you," she murmured, nestling her face into my neck.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of her breath floating over my skin. "Me too, baby."

"I don't know how I am going to make it through the night without you," each word she spoke filled with pain.

Shaking my head, I sighed, "I know, baby, me either."

"Promise me that you won't leave once you get to your parents' house," she pleaded. My heart broke.

"I promise," knowing that I would keep my word. "Promise you'll be there tomorrow."

"Oh, my love, I promise," she whispered, looking up at me. "I love you."

"I love you," I echoed her words, kissing her sweet, plump lips.

Bella and I stayed wrapped in each others arms through the next handful of songs, losing ourselves in the small, but gentle, touches we shared. A stroke of the cheek, a peek on the lips, the feeling of her fingers running through my hair, but mostly, our hearts beating against one another. A dull noise in the background, I could make out a few words from those around us, but my attention was on the woman who'd somehow managed to heal my broken heart, and teach me how to love again. The woman who pulled my son into her arms and loved him, nurtured him, and protected him. The way only a mother could love her child.

"May I have your attention?"

We turned, facing my mother who stood on the small stage, smiling like Christmas had come early and she had gotten the best present of all. My father stood next to her, arm wrapped tight around her waist, a look of pure adoration on his face. Never in all my years, had I ever seen him not look at her like he'd never seen such a beautiful woman. In his eyes, he hadn't.

Charlie stood on the other side of Esme, a goofy smile covering his face, with Sue proudly at his side. Her left hand, which now rested a small, diamond ring, covered her chest. Over the last few months, he had managed to let go of the woman who had left and abandoned them, and give his heart to Sue, who, in return, found someone to love her. Charlie had knelt down in front of her, and everyone else, at Easter, asking for her hand, to which she replied with a resounding yes. Sue's children, Seth and Leah, were happy for their mother, and accepted Charlie without hesitation, just like Bella had done with Sue.

"I know I speak for both Carlisle and Charlie when I say that we are so thankful everyone could be here tonight, in celebration of the union between our son, Edward, and Charlie's daughter, Bella." Esme paused, blinking back her tears. "I wanted to do this without crying."

"Oh, Esme," murmured Bella, bringing her fingers up to her lips.

"With a new daughter," started Esme, dabbing the corners of her eyes with her tissue, "we gain a new grandson."

"Me!" cheered Alex, jumping up onto the stage, hugging my mother around the waist. Hearty chuckles broke out around the room.

"Yes, my darling, you," giggled Esme, leaning over and kissing the top of his blond hair. Straightening back up, she kept her arms around him, looking right me and Bella. "I have many hopes and dreams for you two. Perhaps another grandchild someday," she snickered, everyone laughed. Bella groaned, I rolled my eyes. Typical.

"A sister," hissed Anthony, joining his brother on the small stage. "We want a sister."

"Or two," added Alex. "Maybe even three."

"Oh, lord," muttered Bella, while everyone laughed.

"Well, we'll, um, have to see about that," giggled Esme. Carlisle and Charlie were struggling to stop from outright guffawing. "But mostly, I, and everyone else in this room, hope you both find peace and happiness." She raised her glass. "To Edward and Bella."

Echoing her words, everyone raised their glasses in our direction. Bella smiled, blushing once again. I brought my hand up to her cheek, before leaning in and kissing her. "Aw," floated across the room.

"Oh, and Edward," Charlie cleared his throat, I looked over at him, "make sure you work on those sisters."

"Daddy," gasped Bella, while my eyes flew open. "I am so going to make you pay for that."

"Whatever, princess," he taunted her.

Bella growled under breath, turning back to me. "Just wait until it's him and Sue getting married. I'm gonna make sure he gets embarrassed."

"Baby, I'll do everything I can to help you," I chuckled.

"Okay, lovebirds, it's time to say goodnight," sang Esme, bouncing toward us with the boys.

Bella tensed up, pressing her body against mine. This would be the hardest part for both of us, letting the other go. "Give us a second," I murmured, smiling at my mother. She smiled, heading over to the door where my father, Charlie, and Sue were waiting.

"Dad, do we have to stay at Nana and Papa's?" grumbled Anthony. Shifting my eyes over to my sister, I sighed.

"Yes, Anthony, we do." I knelt in front of him and Alex, placing my hands on their shoulders. Both boys had grown at least two inches this year. Shifting my eyes over to Alex, I smiled. "Anthony and I will be at Nana's, but that doesn't I'm not there in a heartbeat if you need me, Alex."

"You're still my dad, right?" he sniffled, my heart broke.

"I'll always be your dad," I promised, meaning each and every word. "It's just one night. Then tomorrow, after the wedding, you two are going with Nana and Papa, remember? But we're right here, if you need us."

"Yeah," agreed, Bella, squatting next to me, placing her arm around my body. "Besides, I think Grandpa wanted to sleep in your room with you."

I bit my lip, knowing that Charlie hadn't planned on sleeping in the boys' room. Score one for Bella. "Yeah, you've gotta keep him out of trouble," I chuckled. Alex smiled, stepping up and hugging me.

"I love you, Daddy," he cried.

"I love you, too, Alex," I whispered, trying to be strong, but finding it very hard. "You be a good boy for mommy and we'll see you at the park, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy," he hiccuped, stepping back.

Anthony shifted nervously, biting on his bottom lip. He lifted his eyes to Bella, "Mommy,

you not gonna forget to be there, right?"

"No, sweetheart, I will be there, ready to see my handsome boys in their suits," she soothed him, bringing her hand up to his cheek, wiping off a stray tear. "I love you, my sweet boy."

"I love you, too, Mommy," he whimpered, hugging her. Pushing away from her, he and Alex walked over to where their grandparents waited, clinging onto Carlisle and Charlie. Standing up, I slipped my arms around my fiance, pulling her against me. She buried here face in my neck, body shaking with her silent tears. "It's okay, baby," I murmured. "It's just one night."

"I know, just don't forget your promise," she begged, pulling back. "Please, just don't forget your promise."

"I won't," I replied, quick. "I love you."

"I love you."

Leaning in, she kissed me hard, parting her lips, allowing my tongue in. Deepening the kiss, I tried to put as much as I could into it, knowing that I wouldn't get to kiss her again until we were standing in front of our friends and family. Gasping for air, she broke her lips from mine, stroking my cheek with her soft fingers. Smiling, she brushed her lips against mine once again, before she pulled away, rushing out of the room with Alex and Charlie following her. She took my heart with her.

Sighing, I headed over and picked Anthony up, holding him tight. Wordlessly, we followed my parents out to their car, climbing into the back, and heading toward their house. Anthony was nearly asleep when we got there, the mixture of excitement and anxiety getting the best of him. I lifted him out of the car, and headed into the house.

"Edward," whispered Carlisle, stopping me before I could head upstairs. "We just wanted to tell you how proud we are of you."

"Thanks, Dad," I smiled. "Sometimes, I still need to hear it, you know."

"We do," murmured Esme, kissing the top of Anthony's head, before leaning up and pressing her lips to my cheek. "Goodnight, my darling. Sleep tight."

"Goodnight."

Leaving them in the living room, I carried my son upstairs to the guest room, having already dropped our luggage off earlier in the evening. Being careful not to wake him, I managed to change him from his dress clothes, and put his pajamas on, before stripping off the suit I'd been wearing all night. Slipping on a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt, I climbed into the bed next to my son, pulling the blankets up so they covered us both. Mumbling something about cotton candy and transformers, he rolled over, snuggling up against me. I smiled, holding him against me. Just one night apart, that's all we'd be spending. I repeated that to myself as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

_Looking around, I found myself standing in the middle of our park, surrounded by dozens of empty chairs, a satin bow on the end of each row. The chairs faced a large white arch, which had blue roses and greenery wrapped around it. Leading the way down the aisle toward the arch was a long blue carpet. _

_"It's pretty here." I looked over, seeing a tall, blond haired man standing next to me. I didn't need to ask him his name, I could tell just by his eyes who he was. He had the same eyes as Alex. "Close your mouth, before you catch flies."_

_I shut my mouth, looking around. "You know who I am, don't you?"_

"_Of course, I do," he laughed, clapping me on the shoulder. "She told me all about you."_

"_Who told you about me?" I wondered, turning to face him._

"_Sarah." I brought my hand up, covering my mouth. "If you get upset, she's gonna be so pissed," he chuckled, dropping his hand. _

"_You're saying that my Sarah told you about me?" I gasped. He nodded. "Why?"_

"_Why do you think?" he countered._

"_I don't know," I groused. _

"_Sure you do," he snorted, moving over and sitting on one of the white chairs. "She worried, just like I did."_

"_About what?" _

"_More like who, Edward," he replied, placing his arm on the back of the chair next to him. "I didn't want to leave her."_

"_You're not talking about Sarah, are you?" I moved over sitting a couple of chairs away from him._

"_No, I'm not," he admitted. "Bella..." He trailed off, looking up at the arch. "She's gonna change the world."_

"_She already has," I muttered. He laughed, shifting his body to face me. _

"_Good point." _

_We sat in silence for a few moments, listening to the sound of the birds singing in the trees, a light breeze rustling the leaves, and feeling the warmth of the sun shining down over us. Standing up, Brody walked down the aisle, running his hand along the wooden arch. _

_Shaking his head, he looked back over at me, smiling. "I wanted to stand right here and watch her walk toward me."_

"_I want to do that, too."_

"_You will," he sighed. "You'll be a good husband to her, and you're already a great father to Alex."_

"_He looks like you," I mumbled._

"_He acts like Bella," he chuckled. I laughed, agreeing with him. "Edward, tell them I love them, and...take care of them, all three of them, okay?"_

"_Of course, I will," I promised, standing up. I hesitated for a moment. "Do me a favor?"_

"_Anything," he responded. _

_Blinking back the tears burning the corners of my eyes, I somehow managed to whisper, "Tell Sarah I'll never stop loving her."_

"_She already knows, Edward." He smiled, shaking his head. "But I'll tell her anyway."_

"_Thank you," I sighed._

"_No, thank you," he murmured, walking up the aisle toward me. He paused, placing his hand back on my shoulder. "For loving her the way she deserves to be loved."_

_Before I could respond, Brody pulled his hand away from my shoulder. Spinning around, I was blinded when the sun shifted through the trees. I only looked away for a moment, but when I turned back, Brody had left._

Snapping my eyes open, I sat up, searching for any sign of him, but, of course, there were none. Instead of the park, I was back in the guest room at my parents house, the sun shining through the windows. I looked down, expecting to see Anthony fast asleep next to me, but he wasn't there. Climbing out of the bed, I went to find him.

It didn't take me too long, I heard him and Esme laughing together in the kitchen. When I walked in, I saw him sitting at the counter, holding a large bowl while she poured chocolate chips in. His giggles echoed through the room, bouncing off the walls. Esme looked over his head, smiling when she saw me.

"Look who's awake," she gestured to me. Anthony turned, seeing me watching them. The most incredible smile broke out on his face when he let go of the bowl, jumping off the stool, and rushing into my arms.

"Dad!" he cheered, hugging me. I held him tight. "Nana and I are making pancakes."

"So I see," I laughed, setting him back on the ground. He reached up, pulling me back down onto my knees.

"Today's the day, right, Dad?" he questioned.

I smiled, bringing my hand up to his face. "Yes, Anthony, today's the day."

He wrapped his arms around my neck again, burying his face on my shoulder. "We're finally gonna be a real family."

**Thank you for all the reviews. Every time I look at that number go up, I am just so blown away. I truly appreciate all of you. Now, time to be honest, did you cry? Because I cried through quite a lot of this chapter. So many raw feelings to me...Anywho, one more to go, before Moving Forward begins.**

**If you haven't yet, please go over to TWCS Library and check out my two original fictions, Angel's Heart, and What Should Have Been. Also while you are there, check out That Summer and The Price of Valor by Busymommy, Loving on the Bayou by Nails233, and When the Spirit Moves by Layne Faire. All of these are entered into the same contest and are truly amazing stories. **


	46. Chapter 46

**BPOV**

Pulling my blanket around my shoulder, I clutched my coffee cup closer to my body, and watched the sky change from a dull gray to a bright orange. Barely after six in the morning, the sun had just started to rise, preparing for what I hoped would be a beautiful, and perfect day. A smile ghosted over my lips. Today, was the day I would marry Edward.

"Bella, what are you doing out here?" groused Charlie, stumbling out the front door, stubbing his toe on the door jam. "Son of a bitch."

I laughed. "You okay there, Dad?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he muttered, flopping in the white wicker chair next to me. "You're up early."

"Couldn't really sleep," I whimpered, feeling my tears already start building. "Sorry."

"Sweetheart," he sighed, shaking his head, while reaching over to grab my hand.

"What if something happened to them, Daddy?" I fretted, unable to stop the onslaught of tears. "We can't live without Edward and Anthony, they're mine and Alex's other half."

Leaning over, Charlie wrapped me in his arms, holding me tight against him. The last time he held me like this was when we were told about the accident. My world had shattered, I never thought I would be able to love again, especially after I found out I was pregnant. Charlie supported my decision to raise my son on my own, telling me to ignore everyone insisting that at twenty, I wouldn't be able to handle the responsibility. I proved them wrong.

Alex was a good boy, who with the help of Edward, was on the way to becoming a good man, just like Brody. While I knew my behavior was silly, and irrational, I couldn't help worry that they would be taken from me. My heart ached at the thought of losing my family. A new round of sobs rocked through me, my father tightened his arms, just holding me.

"I need...to talk...to him," I choked out, gripping Charlie's t-shirt between my fingers. "Please, Daddy?"

"Alice will kick my ass for this," he muttered, shuffling to his feet, with me in his arms. We stumbled back into the house. Pushing me onto the couch, he hurried into the kitchen, coming back a moment later with the phone in his hand. I expected him to hand me the phone, but he didn't. Instead, he settled on the couch next to me, dialed Carlisle and Esme's home phone, and brought the phone up to his ear.

"Carlisle, it's Charlie," started my father. "Is Alice there?...She's fine, she just needs to talk to Edward, and I don't want Alice jumping all over them...Yeah, she is, too," Charlie chuckled. I lifted an eyebrow, trying to figure out exactly what was being said. My father smiled. "Okay, hold on."

Handing the phone to me, he leaned in, kissing my forehead, before leaving me alone. Sniffling, I brought the phone up to my ear. "Hello?"

"Baby," breathed Edward. I smiled, bigger than ever before. "God, I miss you."

"I miss you, too," I cried, laughing at the same time. "Are you and Anthony okay?"

"Yes, baby, we're fine," he soothed. "You and Alex? Did he sleep okay? Charlie turned on the lava lamp, right?"

"He fell asleep before we even got home," I giggled, thinking about Charlie carrying him into his room. "He's still asleep, and, yes, I forced Charlie to turn on the lamp."

"Good," he sighed, relief evident in his voice. "Anthony ended up falling asleep in the car, too."

"Our bed felt so lonely without you," I admitted, feeling my cheeks heat up. "I hugged your pillow to my chest all night, but it wasn't the same."

"For me, either, baby." He snorted. "How much longer?"

Shifting my eyes over to clock, I smiled. "Twelve hours, fifteen minutes, and twenty seconds," I giggled, snuggling into the couch, "not that I'm counting."

"Yeah, not counting at all," he laughed. I smiled, loving the sound of his laughter. I brought my hand up to my chest, covering my heart.

In the background, I could hear Anthony. "Is that momma?" he whined. "I want to talk to her!"

"Okay, okay, hold on," sighed Edward. I heard him shuffle the phone over to Anthony.

"Momma?" he yelled. I pulled the phone from my ear for a moment. "Are you there?"

"Yes, sweetie, I'm here," I wept, tears welling in my eyes again. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, except Dad snores," he grumbled. "When is it time to go to the park?"

"Not for a little while," I murmured.

He sighed. "It's gonna take forever."

"I know, I wish it would hurry, too." Alex stumbled into the living room, rubbing his eyes. Looking over, he saw me sitting on the couch with the phone. I opened my arms to him, inviting him to join me, which he did by climbing into my lap. Offering him the phone, he leaned against me.

"Hello?" he wondered. His eyes flew open and he smiled. "ANTHONY...No, he snored...yeah, and farted all night."

I bit my lip, stopping myself from laughing when Charlie hollered from the kitchen, "Did not!"

Alex ignored him, asking Anthony if he was watching cartoons. Reaching over he grabbed the remote, turning on the television, and talking to Anthony about some show they were both apparently watching. I held my son in my lap, while they chatted. Once the show ended, he held the phone back to me, and climbed off my lap, walking into the kitchen.

"Grandpa, will you make me some breakfast?" he sighed.

"Sure, kiddo, how about some eggs?" Charlie chuckled. My eyes flew open, knowing exactly what kind of eggs my father made.

"Edward," I growled, slamming the phone back to my ear a little too hard. "Fucking bitch."

Through the phone, I heard him laughing, "Baby, are you okay?"

"Yeah, Charlie's threatening to make Alex some eggs. I gotta go," I muttered, rubbing the sore spot on my head.

"Okay," he grumbled.

"I'll miss you," I whispered.

"I'm gonna miss you, too," he murmured. "I'll see you before you know it. I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too." I brought my hand up to my heart again.

My breath caught in my chest when I heard the click on the other line. Placing the phone on the coffee table, I climbed off the couch, heading into to kitchen, trying to stop the ache radiating in my heart. Charlie and Alex were sitting at the table, my father sipping on some coffee while Alex sipped on some milk. Both of them were smirking, I knew the whole eggs offer had been a set-up.

"Neither of you are funny," I muttered, pulling my mixing bowl out of the cabinet. "I thought about making pancakes, but now..."

"Please, Mommy," begged Alex, scrambling out of his seat and rushing over to me. He threw his arms around my waist, hugging me tight. "Grandpa made me do it. He threatened me!"

"I did not," scoffed Charlie. I raised an eyebrow at him. "I didn't, Bella!"

Rolling my eyes, I laughed, hugging Alex back. "I don't believe you, Dad, but that's okay. I'll make pancakes, but you two little scam artists have to do the dishes."

Groaning, Alex went back over to the table, falling into the seat next to Charlie, glaring at him. I laughed again, before pulling out everything I would need to make them some pancakes. My stomach was nervous enough without adding food. While I flipped pancakes, Charlie and Alex colored in the boys' spiderman coloring books. I missed Anthony, the sounds of them giggling and whispering together while I made them breakfast.

"Here you go," I manged to say while fighting the tears burning the corners of my eyes. "I'm gonna jump in the shower, so..."

"Okay, sweetheart," Charlie grabbed my hand, "go relax."

Moving around the table, I kissed the top of their heads. Heading into my bedroom, I shut the door, leaning back, and taking a deep breath. My fears were irrational, I knew this, but the last time I found myself preparing to marry the man I loved, I ended up alone. While I knew Edward and Anthony were okay in my heart, I feared something would happen between now and when we were to meet under the arch. Pushing off of the door, I tried to stifle my fears and just focus on today.

My shower felt wonderful. The water soothed my tense muscles, washing over my skin, helping me to relax. I took my time, thoroughly washing my hair and body, just enjoying the few minutes I had to myself. Once I'd finished, I shut off the water, grabbing a towel off the shelf and drying off. Going back into my bedroom, I slipped on my panties and a strapless bra, not wanting to have marks on my shoulders from the straps. Alice wouldn't like that, I'm sure. Adding a pair of yoga pants, and a t-shirt, I slipped my feet into a pair of flip flops and headed into the living room, where I found Alice, Rose, Kate, Esme, and Angela sitting with Charlie and Alex.

"Here comes the bride," sang Alice, jumping to her feet. She rushed over, throwing her tiny arms around me. "Are you excited, Bella? I bet you are so excited!"

Looking over the top of her heard, I caught Charlie's eyes, glaring at him while he laughed. "Alice, sweetie, how much coffee have you had today?" I wondered, cautiously.

She broke out into hysterics, letting her head fall back. "None, silly. I'm just excited!" she giggled, grabbing my hands and bringing them up in front of her. "You're going to be my sister."

"I'm excited, too, Alice, but you're scaring me with your cheerfulness. Maybe we can take it down a notch, or two?"Alice's smile faltered, I felt horrible.

"Of course," she murmured, dropping her eyes to the floor. "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," I grumbled. "Just really nervous."

"Well, don't be, because today is going to be perfect," she insisted, squeezing my hands. "I promise."

Looking over at Alex, who watched the two of us like we were nuts, and I smiled. I believed her, everything would be perfect once Edward and I made our family official. Letting go of her hands, I walked over to the couch, kneeling in front of him. "Grandpa's gonna make sure you both get to the park, ready for the wedding, okay?"

"Then Dad will be your husband." Scrunching up his face, he sighed. "Right, Momma?"

"Yes, sweetheart, Dad will be my husband," I giggled, bringing my hand up to his face. "Be a good boy for Grandpa, and keep him out of trouble."

"I will," sighed Alex, leaning forward and hugging me, ignoring the grunt slipping out of Charlie's lips. "Love you, Momma."

Blinking back my tears, I turned, kissing the side of his head. "I love you, too."

Pulling away from him was one of the hardest moments of my life, but I had to. Alice, Rose, Kate, Angela, and Esme had a full day of pampering schedule before we would get ready for the wedding, and I knew that he would okay with my father. Gathering my bag from next to the door, I left them standing on the front porch, and climbed into the backseat of Esme's SUV, watching my father pick him up and hold him as we drove away.

Twenty minutes later, Esme pulled up in front of Ambiance, a small private spa that catered to a selective clientele. Luckily, we seemed to fit the mold. Climbing out of the car, we headed inside, where we were greeted by thin man with long dirty blond hair, pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck. Shifting his dark, hypnotic eyes between all of us, he finally settled on Esme, reaching out of her hand.

"Mrs. Cullen, nice to see you again," he gushed, leaning in and kissing both of her cheeks. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you, James," giggled Esme, shifting her eyes over to me, "but this is who you should be fawning over, the beautiful bride."

I blushed.

"The blushing bride," he snickered, releasing her hand and taking mine instead. "Hello, darling, I'm James Malcolm, and it's an honor to have you here."

"B...Bella," I stammered, feeling my face heat even more when he lifted my hand to his lips, placing a soft kiss in my knuckles. I shot a look over to Rose, who giggled.

"James, you're scaring her," she chastised him. Stepping around Esme, she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Bella, James owns this place with his partner, Laurent. They've taken care of us before each of us were married, now it's your turn."

Finding my shocked expression quite funny, he wrapped my hand around his arm, leading me further inside the spa. "Darling, we have a full day of pampering planned to make you relax and enjoy this blessed day."

"Um, okay," I mumbled, taking the time to look around.

The spa was amazing. Dark marble floors and lightly painted walls were the perfect contrast to one another. Hanging on the walls were photographs of scantly clad men and woman sensually posed. To some they may seem pornographic, but not to me. They were beautiful and sexy. Pulling on my arm, he led us through to the back, right into a large room with half a dozen massage tables set up.

"You can change into your robes in there," he explained, gesturing to a door to the right. "You masseuses will be in soon." James angled his body toward me. "Darling, if there is anything we can do for you, please ask. We consider the Cullen's family, and that includes you."

Nodding, I murmured, "Thank you."

With a giddy smile on his face, James left. We headed into the small dressing room and changed into white, terry cloth robes, before going back into the main room. As we slid up on the table, I could feel my body began to shake. Whether my nerves were from the upcoming massage or our wedding, I couldn't be sure. I felt anxious and my eyes were full of tears I struggled to keep at bay. All I wanted was to stand under the arch at our wedding and marry Edward. Time dragged on too slowly.

"Bella, sweetheart, are you okay?" gasped Esme, rushing from around her table and over to mine. Only then did I realize I had been sobbing to myself. She wrapped her arms around me, holding me the only way she knew how; like a mother.

"I miss...him...so...much," I blubbered, sounding like a child. "My...heart...hurts."

"Oh, Bella," she sighed, running her fingers through my hair. "He misses you, too, but you will be together sooner than you realize, and everything will be perfect."

"Promise he'll be there?" I whimpered, lifting my eyes up to hers.

"I promise." Bringing her hand up, she brushed the tears away from my face. "He's waiting for you, sweetheart. Now, I want to you calm down and enjoy yourself. Can you do that for me?"

Nodding, I sniffed back my tears. "I'll try."

"Good girl." She leaned forward, kissing my forehead.

The rest of the day was spent trying to get me ready for the wedding. Through the massages, the brunch, getting my hair and nails done, makeup fixed, my nerves got the better of me, biting at every vulnerable part of my body. I tried to hide just how nervous I felt, but, while nobody said anything, I could feel them watching me, trying to do everything they could to keep me calm. For the first time in so long, I had real friends, sisters even.

"Bella," called Alice, placing her hand on my shoulder. I had just spent the last hour letting a young dark haired girl apply my makeup, and had zoned out. "It's time to get your dress on."

"Okay," I breathed, covering her hand with mine.

Letting her lead me back into the dressing room, we found Kate, Rose, Angela, and Esme already dressed. Each of them, and Alice, were wearing dresses in varying shades of yellow, pink, lavender, and green. They looked beautiful, and I wanted to tell them, but the moment I opened my mouth, I felt the tears welling up. Closing my lips, I hoped they understood just how much they meant to me.

Rose unzipped the black garment bag, and lifted my wedding dress out. It had taken me nearly two months to find the right dress, wanting something sexy and sensual, but modest at the same time. After looking in over a dozen stores, I found this one on a corner rack, hidden amongst a dozen other dresses. The moment my hand touched it, I knew I had found my dress. Trying it on confirmed that this dress had been made for mine and Edward's wedding.

"Let's get you ready," suggested Kate.

Taking my dress from Rose, I grabbed my other bag and headed into a private dressing area. Slipping on the white, lacy hipsters and matching white strapless bra, I discarded my robe completely and stepped into my dress, being careful not to mess up my hair or makeup. Holding it up, I stepped out of the dressing room, turning my back toward all of them.

"Can someone zip me up?" My shaky words tumbled between my lips.

"Of course," replied Alice, coming over and pulling the zipper up. "You look beautiful."

Turning, I saw my reflection in the floor length mirror. Bringing my hand up to my chest, I barely recognized myself. My long dark hair had been pulled up into an elegant french twist, leaving a few strands down around my face. My eyes were dark and smoky, yet, had never looked brighter and more alive. A soft pink blush covered my cheeks and my lips were coated in a pink gloss, making them seem fuller than normal.

Letting my eyes drop to the rest of my body, I felt my lips curve upward. Even though I had already seen myself in my dress, it still took my breath away. The white, strapless, empire style gown, looked like a Greek Goddess' dress, with the bodice hugging my chest, and embroidered with beaded floral accents. Flaring just under my bust line, the skirt flowed out in silky chiffon, pooling around my feet, which were nestled into a pair of white ballet flats.

Facing everyone, I felt my lips trembling, "What do you think?"

"Beautiful, sweetheart," murmured Esme, bringing her fingers up to her lips. "How you feel?"

"Scared and nervous," I giggled, "but I'm ready."

"Then let's go." Rose came over, gripping my elbow. "It's time."

As we made our way through the spa, everyone stopped and watched us, with smiles and waves. James opened the front door, bidding us a pleasant day. When we stepped outside, I had expected to see Esme's SUV parked at the curb, but instead, there was a long, white limo. Turning to Esme, I gasped.

"Don't you start. You deserve nothing short of perfection today," she explained.

"Thank you, Esme," I replied.

The driver, a tall, thin russet skin man, with jet black hair and matching eyes, climbed out of the limo, rushing around to open the back door from us. Lifting his eyes over to me, he smiled. "Miss Swan, I'm Jared. Mr. Cullen asked me make sure you received this."

I took the small white envelope he held out to me. "Thank you."

"May I help you into the car?" he requested, holding his hand out to me.

Nodding, I placed my hand in his, allowing him to help me inside. I settled into one of the seats, be careful not to mess up my hair, or snag my dress. Esme climbed in behind me, followed by Rose, Alice, Kate, and Angela. Jared shut the door, rushing back around to the driver seat and started the limo, pulling away from the spa, heading toward the park, where the rest of my family waited for us.

The other were talking amongst each other, so I opened the letter from Edward. A faint smile spread over my lips.

**My beautiful Bella,**

**God, how I miss you. We only spent one night apart, I know it's silly, but my heart ached for you. I needed to hear you laughing with the boys, watch you read to them, or tell them one of your silly stories. I wanted to hold you in my arms all night, feeling your heart beat beneath your breast. I need you, only you, love.**

**Come to me, Bella. Don't keep me waiting any longer. I love you.**

**Edward**

Hugging his letter to my chest, I looked out the window, and whispered to myself, "I'm coming, my love, as fast as I can."

**Thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate them all so much. Now, I know I said this would be the last chapter, but when I sat down to write it out, they had so much more to say. So, I am breaking it up into two chapters. The next, and final chapter of Taking Chances will be posted tomorrow, and you will need tissues. But, then again, don't you always when reading my stuff? **


	47. Chapter 47

After Edward and I set the date for the wedding, everyone flew into a bit of a frenzy. Alice and Esme wanted to throw us the biggest wedding ever known to man, stating that we, along with our sons, needed to celebrate, but we didn't want a huge wedding. Edward had already been down that road with Sarah, and all I wanted was to marry him, pure and simple. Once we got them to calm down, we sat them down and explained where we wanted our small wedding to be held. Our park. Not only had our children become the best of friends, and brothers at that park, but Edward and I found each other there. We bared our souls, discovered the bond that would eventually turn into love. The park was perfect for us.

The limo pulled up to the side of the park Jared came rushing around, opening the door for us. My hands shook while I waited for Esme, Kate, Angela, Rose, and, finally, Alice to climb out. Jared leaned in, offering me his hand. Allowing him to help me out, I inhaled a sharp breath, feeling the butterflies dancing in my stomach once again.

"Congratulations, Miss Swan," murmured Jared, nodding his head.

"Thank you." My words were soft and airy.

With the sun getting ready to set, the park had never looked more beautiful, a dull orange shimmered over us. A floral scent hit my nose, I knew where they came from; blue roses. Our flower. Bringing my hand up to cover my lips, I blinked back the tears, begging myself not to ruin my make-up now. Looking around, I saw Charlie and Alex heading over to us, both wearing black suits, with white shirts and blue ties. Smiling wider as they came closer to us, Charlie stayed a few steps away, allowing Alex to reach me first.

"Momma, you look beautiful," he gasped, slipping his arms around my waist. "Like one of those princesses that Anna loves so much."

"Thank you, sweetheart," I whispered, sniffling back my tears. Clearing his throat, my father reached into his jacket, pulling out a handkerchief, handing it to me like it was nothing. "Thank you, Daddy."

"Welcome," he groused, keeping his eyes on the ground. "You look beautiful, Bells."

"You clean up nice," I giggled, causing him to laugh and shake his head.

Lifting his head, he met my eyes. "You ready, honey?"

"Yes," I breathed, still shaking. "More than ready."

Esme, Rose, Alice, Kate, and Angela took their turns to hug me, before they headed just beyond the trees to take their seats. Hooking my arms in with Charlie and Alex, I allowed the two of them to lead me down the candlelight path. Making our way around the trees, music started playing, and everyone stood up, blocking our view of the people we needed to see. The moment my foot landed on the blue carpeting leading down the aisle, everyone around us murmured, "Aw."

Looking up, I found the deep, sparkling green eyes I dreamed about every night. Standing under the white arch, Edward, with Anthony right in front of him, smiled. My heart raced in my chest, beating against my ribs. They were here, ready for us.

"Daddy!" squealed Alex, pulling me and Charlie down the aisle. Everyone laughed.

"Slow down, bud," chuckled Edward, putting his hand up, but keeping his eyes locked on mine. "We've got plenty of time."

Huffing, Alex followed Edward's instructions, walking me down the aisle. On the other side of me, I could hear Charlie sniffing, but couldn't look at him, knowing if I did, I would start crying, too. Instead, I held onto his arm tighter, telling him what my words couldn't, I love him. Telling him thank you for never giving up on me, for holding me for hours when I cried. For talking me through three in the morning feedings, and temper tantrums. Always telling me how good of a mom I was, what a good job, I did, my father had been there for me every step of the way. Now, he could let me go without having to worry. Edward would be there now.

"I know, honey," he muttered, placing his hand over mine. "Me too."

Coming up to Edward and Anthony, we stopped. Anthony reached out, covering my hand with his, breathtaking smile on his lips. "You're really pretty, Mommy."

"Thank you," I murmured. "You look so handsome."

Anthony blushed. I lifted my eyes back up to Edward, feeling my own cheeks heat up. Before he could say anything, Reverend Robert Weber, Angela's father, stepped up behind him. He had graciously agreed to perform our wedding five minutes after meeting Alex, who Anna introduced as "the love of my life, Pappy." Ben hadn't been too happy about her little declaration, but didn't say anything. Robert found it hilarious, however, and agreed on the spot.

"Are we ready to begin?" He looked between us.

"Yes," we replied, laughing when we spoke at the same time.

"We're gathered here today to celebrate the union of Bella and Edward, along with their sons, Alexander and Anthony," he started. "Who gives this woman to be married?"

"I do," announced Alex, proudly. Again, everyone awed. Looking up at me, Alex somehow smiled wider, taking my hand and placing it in Edward's. "Did I do that right?"

"Yes, Alex," chuckled Robert, shaking his head in amusement. Alex, beaming, looked over his shoulder at Anna, who sat between her parents, and waved. Anna giggled, waving back, causing Ben to groan. Clearing his throat, Robert brought his attention back around to us. "It's always a blessing to get to stand before two people who love each other, and watch them commit their lives to one another. However, this time feels different. Instead of uniting two people, I'm bonding four lives together."

Pausing, Robert looked to my father, nodding his head. Letting go of my arm, my father, placed my other hand on top of mine and Edward's joined hands. Blinking rapidly, and letting his chin wobble, he shifted his eyes up to mine. "I've waited a long time to see you smile again, Bella," he choked out.

"Daddy," I wept.

"Be happy, sweetheart, and let them love you," he added, leaning in and kissing my cheek. A tear fell onto my bare shoulder, I was unable to stop my own from falling. "It's been an honor to stand here with you."

"Thank you, Daddy," I whimpered, "for everything."

Charlie stepped away, wiping the tears off his face, and sitting next to Sue, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, and leaning in to kiss her cheek. Turning back to Edward, I smiled once again. His eyes were swimming with tears, too. "I love you," he whispered, squeezing my hand.

"I love you, too," I resounded, matching his soft tone.

"Yeah, yeah, we all love each other," grumbled Anthony. "Can we get on with it? There's cake!"

Everyone laughed. "Edward and Isabella have chosen to write their own vows," chuckled Robert, resuming the ceremony. "Edward."

Taking a deep breath, he turned to me, shifting his eyes down to Alex and Anthony for a spit second before looking up at me again. "Do you remember when we went to the zoo?" I nodded. "I fell in love with you on that day. I'm sure of it," he murmured, each word laced with tears. "We were in front of the monkey's, and you had your arms around the boys. Anthony pointed out the baby monkey, commenting on how he believed that she hugged him all the time. You didn't say anything, Bella, but you pulled him into yours arms, holding him just a little tighter. I didn't realize it at the time, but I fell in love you in that moment. You fixed us, Bella. You and Alex make us whole,and I will spend everyday of the rest of my life thanking god for bringing you and Alex to us."

"Oh, Edward," I cried, bringing a hand up to my mouth. Behind us, I could hear people crying with me, but all I could focus on were the people standing in front of me; my children and husband.

"Bella," encouraged Robert, indicating it was my turn.

Trying to get some control of myself, I slid my hand around, pulling Alex against my body and letting my hand rest on his chest. Feeling his heartbeat under my palm, I looked between Edward and Anthony. "I was scared," I began, speaking just over a whisper. "For so long. I never thought I'd be see the day when it didn't hurt to wake up alone, but I finally did."

I began weeping. Alex turned, wrapping his arms around me. "It's okay, Momma. You have Daddy now," he soothed.

"I know, sweetie," I cried, smiling when I looked up at Edward. "I will spend everyday of my life thanking god that he sent you and Anthony to us. Together, we became a family, we will always be a family."

"Momma," whimpered Anthony, stepping over and hugging me and Alex. Soft sobbing came from behind us, but all I could focus on where the boys in front of me, and the man who made us complete.

"Forever, Bella," he echoed, stepping over to us. Leaning his forehead down onto mine, he slipped his hand into mine, pulling it up to his chest. "Forever."

Clearing his throat, Robert pulled our attention back to him. Blushing, I pulled on my bottom lip, smiling weakly. "May I have the rings, please?"

Standing up, Esme stepped up to us, holding out the two wedding bands we had picked out. Both were simple gold bands, perfect for us. She placed the bands in Robert's hand, wiping away a tear traveling down her face. Returning to her seat, she cuddled up to Carlisle, placing her hand over her heart.

"These rings make a perfect circle," he explained, holding up my wedding band. "Just like these rings, your love is everlasting and never ending." Turning to Edward, he held out my ring. "Edward."

Sliding my wedding band along my left ring finger, he stopped at the knuckle, meeting my eyes once more. "Bella, with this ring, I vow to love, cherish, and honor you all the days of my life," he murmured. Pushing gently, he slid the ring up my finger, laying it to rest next to my engagement ring. A tear rolled down his face, falling into the lapel of his black jacket.

"Bella," murmured Robert.

Smiling, I took the ring he offered me, placing it at the tip of Edward's left ring finger. My hand shook when I started slipping it down to his knuckle. Feeling my lips tremble, I lifted my eyes to his. "Edward," the simple word came out shaky, "with this ring, I vow to love, cherish, and honor you all the days of my life."

Taking a deep breath, I glided his ring up his finger. Wrapping his fingers around my hand, Edward placed one hand on Anthony's shoulder, squeezing. He looked up at him, nodding his head before reaching inside of his little suit jacket and pulling out a small, dark velvet box.

"Momma," he began, sniffing through the words, "me and Alex picked this out for you, because, now, you're officially my mommy, too."

Holding the box out to me, I let go of Edward's fingers and took it from him, before kneeling down. Bringing my boys into my arms, I hugged them both. "I'll always be your mommy, sweetheart," I whispered, just loud enough for them, Edward, and Robert to hear. "I love you."

"Love you," cried Anthony, burying his face in my neck. Alex, laying his head on my shoulder, reached down and opened the box. I gasped.

Inside of the small box, laid small gold locket with two birthstones imbedded in the middle of the heart. The aquamarine and ruby stones offset each other, but much like my sons, were the perfect pair. With shaking fingers, I reached up, brushing my fingers over them, trying to stop myself from breaking down completely. I was the luckiest woman in the world to have such amazing sons.

"Do you like it, Momma?" begged Alex.

"I love it." I smiled. "Will you two help me put it on?"

Nodding eagerly, they looked up at Edward, asking him to help them get it out of the box. I turned, catching my father's eyes when they lifted the necklace over my head, letting it rest over my heart, right were they laid. Charlie's cheeky grin told me that he knew all about this. After a couple of tries, Alex and Anthony were able to get the clasp and I turned back to them, hugging both of them. Reaching around them, I grabbed Edward's hand, weaving our fingers together.

Robert had a smile playing on his lips when we looked back at him. Closing his bible, he hugged the book to his chest. "It's my honor and a privilege, to pronounce you husband and wife. Edward, you may kiss your bride."

Bringing his free hand up to cup my face, he brushed his thumb over my cheek, before leaning in and finding my lips. Placing my hand on the back of his neck, I leaned into the kiss, the first kiss toward spending the rest of our lives together.

"Sorry, Reverend Weber, they like to kiss," griped Anthony. Laughing, Edward and I pulled away, looking down at him. With a lazy smirk on he face, he slung his arm around Alex's shoulder. "Time for cake?"

"Almost." Edward snorted, pulling to boys in front of us as we turned and faced our guests for the first time.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Edward and Isabella Cullen."

Standing up, everyone started clapping for us. Feeling my cheeks heat up from the attention, I took hold of Anthony's hand, while Edward held Alex's hand. Together, we walked back up the aisle, a family prepared to face whatever obstacles stumble before us, and ready to move forward to a future of our own making.

**SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE**

I sat on the side of the bathtub, staring at the tiny white stick laying next to the sink. The only sounds were the slow, painful ticks coming from the kitchen timer sitting beside the little white stick. My heart raced through my chest, beating against my ribs. I tightened my grip around my fingers, trying to keep them from shaking, but since my entire body shook, it was a futile effort.

Chiming, the kitchen timer went off. I jumped, startled, even though I had been watching the hand moved at a slow, torturous pace. Standing up, I reached down, picking up the little white stick, and took a deep breath. Flipping it over, my heart thumped in my chest.

"Baby," called Edward, knocking on the door. "Do you know yet?"

Clutching the stick, I took the three steps over to the door, twisting the handle, and pulling door. He stood with his hands on either side of the frame, anticipation etched on his face. "Do you know?" he repeated. Instead of replying, I held the stick out to him. He took it, flipping it over. Snapping his eyes to mine, he gasped. "Are you fucking serious?"

**Okay, before you all start jumping all over me, I just want you to know that busymommy told me to do it! Just kidding, she didn't. She actually told me to be nice, but where's the fun in that? Thank you for all the reviews. Every time I get one, I squeal a little and my kids look at me like WTF, Mom? I don't get the problem, but whatever. Anyway, give me a week or two, and I will have the first chapter of Moving Forward up and reading for all of you to read.**


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